Catelouso - The song of the Sirenes

The “ Song of the Sirenes” is the second CD of composer Panayotis Leftheris – Catelouso. It is made up of 11 tracks: 7 songs and 4 instrumental compositions.  Its purpose is to evoke some of the musical ideas of his youth. This production of Kytherios Music not only “sets free” its creator but also shows the continuity of his work and takes listeners to the source of his  inspiration: the characteristic landscapes, seascapes and dreamy moonlit nights of his native island, still at that time (the late 80s) quite unspoiled. It was then that the verses of his “fellow traveler” Jannis Efthimiou, were written. Similarly inspired were the verses of Panos Fillis and George Leftheris, members of a previous generation of Kytherian poets. The haunting “exoticism”  that emerges from this project is realized with performances of great sensitivity by singers by Angeliki Kokkini, Thodoris Mavrogiorgis, Lambis Koundourogiannis and Nikos Katridjidakis. Clarity and integration are features of the orchestration, combined with complex interweaving of sound, achieved in the main by classical guitar, flutes and bow strings. The engineering is by Dimitris Xenikakis, Zafiris Kondogeorgis and Kostas Bokos. The design is by Maria Schina and the photographs isn the booklet are taken from Tzelis Hadjidimitrious’s collection “Dancing Nudes”.

Catelouso - Sinaxis

“SINAXIS” is the result of a collaboration between Kytherian composer Catelouso (Panayotis Leftheris) and the medieval music ensemble Lyrae Cantus.  The music and songs on this project were inspired by the inexorable flux of time, whether it be its imprint on the ruins of a village built on rock, or on the yellowing photographs of past generations, or in the nostalgic verses of the island’s poets.  Elements of traditional and medieval music are combined with contemporary harmonic idioms, and the pieces are sung and performed on old instruments by Lyrae Cantus. One of the unique characteristics of “SINAXIS” is its remarkably broad appeal. It will delight enthusiasts of medieval renaissance music as much as it will those whose who take pleasure in Greek traditional music or more generally in World- ethnic music. In fact,“SINAXIS” probably does not belong to any of these categories. It is a mould-breaking work.

“SINAXIS” is now available on CD from “SIRIUS”, the prestigious record label which was created in 1985 by the great and ever-popular Greek composer, Manos Hatjidakis. It  contains a 24 page booklet which includes English translations of the verses together with historical photographs from the Kythera Archive. “SINAXIS” CD has been produced by “KYTHERIOS MUSIC”.