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[denizaksulu]

:) Coool...I'd seen the 2nd lot before...but never seen the 1st ones, and I like those ALOT. Post more if you find them please Natty.

Your questions:

The 1st dance in the 2nd video is definately a zeimbekiko but not sure which one exactly...I personally think it looks like the Iskele zeimbekiko...

And that "shimmy" the ladies are doing is definately a citetelli dance.

Hi TC, having difficulty sleeping as well?

The second lot have been floating around on youtube for quite a while, but I only came across the first lot today and I couldn't resist uploading them, especially as they were accompanied by a live band and singer! I'll definitely try and find some more..

Yeah I thought it was a Zembekiko (god I love that dance), it had that feel to it, and it reminded me of a Cypriot Zembekiko, and I did think that the 'shimmy shimmy ladies' were dancing a cifteteli, but I was entirely sure. I've noticed that when GC women dance a traditional Tsifteteli/Cifteteli they tend to use their feet more to move their hips as oppose to doing lots of shimmies, although we do shimmy occasionally, with that music you just have to...

I also found a clip of one of my favourite pieces of Cypriot music, played really impressively by a self taught TC musician...

He's good! And that song is THE Cyprus anthem ...I've been wondering if the GCs also know it...do you know what the Greek version is called? Also is this song used in GC weddings like it is in TC ones?

Hey TC, Happy new year!

It really is THE Cyprus Anthem isn't it? In fact I reckon it should be the new Cyprus NATIONAL anthem, all you need are a few lyrics, what do you reckon?

Unfortunately I don't know what the Greek name of the music is, but I’ll try and find out for you...

Do we play it at GC weddings?



Why of course...

It's usually played when the Groom dances with his best man and a few of his closest 'Koumbari' Individually, which is what is happening in the clip I uploaded...

If my, almost 62 year old memory serves me right ( I will stand corrected) the music ("nationa anthem") was called a 'Karsilama', a 'greeting'. Played when the bride and groom are brought together at the festivities for the first time.

It would be a miracle but wonderful if it brought together the two sides; and no jokes regarding who is who please.

[T_C]

Great video Natty, and happy new year to you too!

I agree with you 100% it definately should be the national anthem..and it pretty much is for TCs anyways. We call it the 'Kozan Marsi' which translates to Kozan Anthem or Kozan March.

For TCs it's a womens song, it's played when the bride and groom enter, but traditionally it's the song that women always dance with the testi (pots) to on the henna night.



So Deniz is somewhat right, it's not called karsilama but there is many versions of the song on the karsilama rhythmn. I do have a few versions of it actually, I'll upload them here when I have the time.

[denizaksulu]

Great video Natty, and happy new year to you too!

I agree with you 100% it definately should be the national anthem..and it pretty much is for TCs anyways. We call it the 'Kozan Marsi' which translates to 'Kozan Anthem'.

For TCs it's a womens song, it's played when the bride and groom enter, but traditionally it's the song that women always dance with the testi (pots) to on the henna night.



So Deniz is somewhat right, it's not called karsilama but there is many versions of the song on the karsilama rhythmn. I do have a few versions of it actually, I'll upload them here when I have the time.

I remember te name Kozan Marsi, maybe the villagers called it unofficially the 'Karsilama'.

...and what you need for traditions to survive is not memories such as mine but hard archive mareial as such as you are providing. This is great stuff. hanks for the likes of you who make these available to all, the the web.

Talking about marches (as Kozan marsi), I remember watching with astonishment during the great film of Lawrence of Arabia, whilst he was doing his ground work in Egypt he was listening to a captured Turkish Army military band playing 'Izmir Marsi, as a belly dance music. Just an aside. Not relevant.

[T_C]

Yeah they probably did call it Karsilama, it's not wrong...just a little lazy!

Actually come to think of it almost all of the versions of Kozan Marsi are on a karsilama rhythmn.

I used the song for this budget video I made when I came back from Cyprus with some of my pics.

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?doc ... 4&hl=en-GB

[denizaksulu]

Yeah they probably did call it Karsilama, it's not wrong...just a little lazy!

Actually come to think of it almost all of the versions of Kozan Marsi are on a karsilama rhythmn.

I used the song for this budget video I made when I came back from Cyprus with some of my pics.

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?doc ... 4&hl=en-GB

TC, Great sound and even greater pictures. What village was it? Or is it more than one. It look like a Karpaz village, the clue being Famagusta and the coast line.

[Natty]

Hi Deniz, Humanist and TC, again happy new year...

Just quickly passing through so I don't have time to watch the video you uploaded TC but I'll check it out later. Is that the dance with the money in the clay pot? We Cypriots sure do like dances with money involved don't we?

I have actually heard a few bands play that piece of music as the Bride and Groom are entering the hall for the first time as husband and wife (they are usually preceded by the violin player and walk round once with the priest leading them and then another two times by themselves amid of a lot of cheering, clapping and confetti throwing) but generally it's played for the groom and his koumbari as they dance...

[denizaksulu]

Hi Deniz, Humanist and TC, again happy new year...

Just quickly passing through so I don't have time to watch the video you uploaded TC but I'll check it out later. Is that the dance with the money in the clay pot? We Cypriots sure do like dances with money involved don't we?

I have actually heard a few bands play that piece of music as the Bride and Groom are entering the hall for the first time as husband and wife (they are usually preceded by the violin player and walk round once with the priest leading them and then another two times by themselves amid of a lot of cheering, clapping and confetti throwing) but generally it's played for the groom and his koumbari as they dance...

One thing I remember was the playing of the Lute (not a Bouzouki) at GC weddings. As a kid I used to as why? The music definitely sounded Turkish. Then at TC weddings Gazels used to be sung in Greek with the accompaniment of jeers and tears of the men. Needless to say, both communites would join in these 'weddings'. Then we have young ignoramus's saying TCs and GCs never integrated.

[T_C]

Hi Deniz, Humanist and TC, again happy new year...

Just quickly passing through so I don't have time to watch the video you uploaded TC but I'll check it out later. Is that the dance with the money in the clay pot? We Cypriots sure do like dances with money involved don't we?

Yeah that one! We always used to sit in a big circle while all the women had their turn with the pot, the "pot breaker" was known in advance and if you were lucky to have her as a relative then you knew when to get ready to jump..

I have actually heard a few bands play that piece of music as the Bride and Groom are entering the hall for the first time as husband and wife (they are usually preceded by the violin player and walk round once with the priest leading them and then another two times by themselves amid of a lot of cheering, clapping and confetti throwing) but generally it's played for the groom and his koumbari as they dance...

Yeah thats what we do too (minus the priest ofcourse ).

[T_C]

Hi Deniz, Humanist and TC, again happy new year...

Just quickly passing through so I don't have time to watch the video you uploaded TC but I'll check it out later. Is that the dance with the money in the clay pot? We Cypriots sure do like dances with money involved don't we?

I have actually heard a few bands play that piece of music as the Bride and Groom are entering the hall for the first time as husband and wife (they are usually preceded by the violin player and walk round once with the priest leading them and then another two times by themselves amid of a lot of cheering, clapping and confetti throwing) but generally it's played for the groom and his koumbari as they dance...

One thing I remember was the playing of the Lute (not a Bouzouki) at GC weddings. As a kid I used to as why? The music definitely sounded Turkish. Then at TC weddings Gazels used to be sung in Greek with the accompaniment of jeers and tears of the men. Needless to say, both communites would join in these 'weddings'. Then we have young ignoramus's saying TCs and GCs never integrated.

You can definately tell some things come from Turks whereas some are blatantly Greek. I never really knew what was so Greek about Cypriot folk dances but after watching loads of Greek videos online specially ones from Crete it's easy to spot the Greekness in the dances...

Like this for instance, this is the same TC group from before but unlike the other video this looks 100% Greek to me, the music, the way they dance and even their outfits...

[zan]

T_C
Have you ever been to the music festival held each year in Turkey. I watched a program on it once and it was fantastic though short. Dancers from all over the world and folk music too. I want to study this in detail when I get the time to do so and it might have to wait until I retire. The Ottoman empire seems to have mixed up all these traditions really well but each still has a small distinct difference that makes them special too.