The song comes from the three-act "Greek popular" operetta "Captain Tsanakas", by Theofrastos Sakellaridis, that premiered on 16.5.1923 at the "Panellinion" theater by the troupe of the Miliadis Operetta.

The musical score of the song was published in Athens under the title "Tha trellathi" by the "Mousiki" publishing house owned by Zacharias Makris.

The following information regarding the operetta come from the newspaper "Esperini" (issue No. 8075, 14.5.1923 p. 3):

"Feverish preparations at the 'Panhellenic' for the operetta 'Captain Tsanakas' that premieres on Wednesday. 'Captain Tsanakas' is Sakellaridis' first popular operetta. This time the composer does not present us the loves of Vivika from 'Vaftistikos', nor the sauciness from 'Nana', nor the mischief from 'Diavolopaido'. He will present us a... boat, in which all Greeks are present. The Greek... flavor distinguishes the new operetta from beginning to end. His syrta and Kalamatiana dances, the leitmotiv of the play, and the sweet 'Mavrommata' could have only been written by the popular composer. 'Captain Tsanakas' stars Messrs. Takis Chatzichristos, Manos Filippidis and Mmes. Marika Miliadis and Kontsetta Moschou."

The musical theme of Karots(i)eris, which was extremely popular in the Greek-speaking repertoire, appears as a small transient theme within the recording, as in other songs (see for example: "To kalokairi tora", "I Marika i daskala", "Tampachaniotikos manes" [shift], "Akou Duce mou ta nea", "Varvara", "Romaiiko glenti"). Apart from its Romanian origin and its strong ties with the local repertoire, the tune of "Karotsieris" also found in other repertoires, such as Jewish (for more see the recordings of "Karotseris" or "Karotsieri".

In contrast to the majority of the cases where popular musicians played a leading role in these appropriations, in "Fotia kai Niata", it was Theofrastos Sakellaridis who was inspired by the song "Karotsieris" and includes it in his operetta.

It seems that this tune is one of the most popular choices not only in the Greek-speaking urban folk-popular repertoire but also in others, something which highlights the cosmopolitanism and syncretism in which popular musicians lived and acted. Like other tunes, which eventually became what we would now call a “hit”, this one also puts emphasis on the interplay between the various repertoires which were discussants in a large geographical area. Thus arises an exciting network that includes repertoires from Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean, which, on the one hand, came from three great empires: the Ottoman, the Austrian and the Russian. On the other hand, repertoires from Italy the Canzone Napoletana, the French chansons, the Spanish world and other sub-networks,were also very active, but also repertoires from two large worlds that were constantly on the move: the gypsy and the Jewish (mainly Yiddish) one. This “convergence” of geographical coordinates is often accompanied by another one, the “convergence” of internal cultural “coordinates”. These are the fields of scholar and popular music, which have traditionally been treated not only as independent, but also as segmented. The popular and the scholar enter into a creative dialogue in a variety of ways, introducing in-between “places” depending on historical conditions. Discography is not only embedded in this context, but plays a key role in its transformation.

Research and text by: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis