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Online articles focused on CreteCretan music History- archaeology Arts-literature Cretans Various articles Cretan Nature Cretan wine-Cretan diet-recipes of Crete cretan music
CRETAN MUSIC HAS TO BE HUMBLE Nikos Sopasis belongs to a generation
of great masters of traditional Cretan music. Apart from his virtuosity on the
lyre his music is characterized by his special, deeply expressive voice THE LYRE IS THE INSTRUMENT OF GOD For many years Psarantonis, one of the greatest Greek traditional music artists, has expressed the desire to give a concert at Herodus Atticus Theatre but some short-sighted bureaucrats wouldn't give him the permission. He finally managed to perform there this summer, and the magic notes of his lyre flooded the ancient theatre. Psarantonis shares with STIGMES readers his thoughts about contemporary Cretan music, the concerts he has given abroad, his childhood in his hometown of Anogia, the lyre, which he characterizes "the instrument of God" and also the current critical situation of our country.
IN
FIRST PERSON... Authentic
narrations from the great masters of Cretan music (Nikos Manias, Gerasimos
Stamatogiannakis, Leonidas Klados, Giorgos Avissinos, Spiros Sifogiorgakis,
Giannis Markogiannakis, Rodamanthos Androulakis, Kostis Papadakis (Naftis),
Giorgos Tzimakis) pioneers of their
art which we still have the honour and the chance to hear in concert THE GREAT MASTERS OF CRETAN MUSIC Listen online to real audio samples from the art of Kalogeridis, Harhalis, Foustalieris, Harilaos, Kareklas, Mountakis, Dermitzogiannis, Lagos, Mavros, Baxevanis, Stravos, Karavitis, Rodinos, Koutsourelis, Naftis, Skordalos and more... IN MEMORY OF THE ARCHANGEL Nikos Xilouris is and always will be a point of reference of Cretan music Beyond the musical notes, there is ecstasy. The charismatic lyre player PSARANTONIS confides to STIGMES I HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT THE TENORS OR SOPRANOS WERE… - Forty years ago, an eighteen year-old brave young man, Babis Garganourakis, went to Athens to record his first ever vinyl, going through all the difficulties of those times. Nobody then could imagine the future of this musician and the importance of his work for the music of Crete THANASSIS SKORDALOS The last interview of a Great Master “I AM NOT A TRADITIONAL ARTIST” Giorgos Zervakis ,actually the most popular Cretan music performer, has devoted supporters but also fanatic enemies A CRETAN OUT OF CRETE IS TWICE MORE CRETAN The name of Nikos Zoidakis, an artist born and raised in the town of Chania, Crete, is known to friends of Cretan music since 1978 when he started to play the lyre as an amateur. THE GENUINE MUSIC OF ASTEROUSIA MOUNTAINS The ongoing research of Savas Petrakis, conducted since 1999, has been a true apocalypse, as it brought to light the original music of Crete, a form of direct artistic interaction between the performer and the listener without microphones, mp3 or video clips. A LUTE PLAYER AT THE CONCERT HALL Mihalis Tzouganakis is one of the most promising young Cretan performers THREE HUNDRED MILLION DISKS LATER… "I was not forced. It was my choice". So simply and decisively, Nana Mouschouri - born in Chania, and meant to become one of the most famous Greek personalities in the world - explained the happy end of her musical adventure starting many years ago and leading to all five continents. THE MOUGRINARA AND THE CHOCHLOBADOURO: Instruments and artists of the music tradition of Chania. Chania has offered the Cretan music very important musicians, people full of talent, respect, love and interest for advancing the Cretan music tradition. LAUGHTER IS A MEDITERRANEAN WAY OF MEDITATION A very popular musical group in Greece, the “Chainides” or "Hainides" started performing many years ago when most of their members were students at the University of Crete. THREE GENERATIONS OF LYRE-MAKERS Manolis Stagakis keeps alive the tradition of lyre-making in his family shop which has a 60-years long history THE OLDEST OF THE OLD TIMERS Manolis Tsagarakis, also called Kouroupis, has been born around 1910, though neither himself nor anybody else remembers the exact date. He is one of the Great Masters of Cretan music, but various misfortunes prevented him of having the career he deserved. MANTINADA IS A FEMININE WORD Traditional music of Crete shows these last years remarkable female interpreters who enrich Cretan musical culture with their art and their presences I AM STILL "STAMPED"! Manolis Kontaros is a sensitive Cretan music performer with a rich discography in his active, a virtuoso of the lute, one from the most expressive voices the Cretan music, with many fanatical admirers all around the island THERE
IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CIRCLE AND A STRAIGHT LINE
Ross
Daly is an Irish self-exiled musician, speaking fluently Greek, with an intense
Cretan accent due to his long-lasting stay in SPIROS SIFOGIORGAKIS: PLAYING THE LYRE FOR A LIFETIME A living legend of Cretan music, the very first professional musician of Crete, composer of Cretan musical themes in Michalis Kakogiannis cinema adaptation of “Zorbas’ IF ROMANTICISM IS NAIVETY, YOU CAN CALL ME NAIVE! Vangelis Pitharoulis is considered as one of the most erotic artists of Cretan music, with fanatic supporters in and out of Crete IF CRETAN MUSIC WERE TO DIE, LET HER DIE IN DIGNITY... says Giorgos Manolioudis, a well known performer of Cretan music MOMENTS OF HUMANITY, IS WHAT COUNTS IN LIFE... Zacharias Vardas, a very promising young Cretan music performer THE SOUL REBEL Nikos Gonianakis offered to Prophet Elias a wax candle the size of his body in return for the skills of an accomplished lyre player. And the Saint listened to his wish WHEN I GET MARRIED I WANT A “MERAKLINA” AS WIFE The word is definitely hard to translate but that doesn’t make the interview of Manolis Alexakis, a great contemporary star of Cretan music, less interesting “PEOPLE STILL LISTEN TO CRETAN MUSIC, EVEN IF NOW THEY HAVE THE CHOICE NOT TO” The great lyra player Mihalis Alefantinos, started in Agios Mamas, in Milopotamos to reach with his music Strasbourg, the heart of the United Europe and this carries a symbolism of it’s own "Crete acts like a magnet": An accomplished, widely recognized, lyra-player, Vasilis Skoulas is optimistic about the future of the Cretan Musical Tradition. His contribution has been invaluable. A CIRCLE ON A CROSS ROAD Crete is famous for its history and its legends. The “Circle on the cross road” is the magic process by which Cretan musicians learned how to play in abundance of art the lyre, probably the most representative of all musical instruments of Crete history- archaeologyTHE PALACE OF KNOSSOS BETWEEN FANTASY AND REALITY The reconstruction of the palace of Knossos helps the visitor to travel back through the tunnel of time, but brings forth the issue of how accurate and scientifically safe can this voyage be. Where can we set the limits between what was actually unearthed and what was a new creation through reconstruction? THE LOWERING OF THE NAZI FLAG IN HERAKLION An act of heroism at the end of WWII, performed by the guerilla group "Goniani Antartes" THE OLYMPIC GAMES WERE BORN IN CRETE! Plato quotes: “leading the Games, the Cretans are first”, wanting to denote with this phrase the Cretans’ great tradition to different sport events LYRE PLAYERS OF ANTIQUITY Have you ever really wondered how deeply rooted in time the musical tradition of our island could be? The GENUINENESS OF IMITATION Kostas Fthenakis, a charismatic Cretan artist that has rediscovered the techniques of Minoan craftsmen and applies them five thousands years later. Some of his artifacts are exposed in big museums of the world and admired by thousand of visitors as authentic Minoan art THE RING OF KING MINOS AT HERAKLION’S MUSEUM The so called “Ring of Minos” after having been lost for decades is exhibited for the first time at Iraklion’s Archaeological museum FROM OLYMPIA TO CRETE Who were the Cretans that have brought the “kotinos”, the reward of the Olympic games of the antiquity back to the island? MYSTERIOUS SCRIPTS OF ANCIENT CRETE Eternal enigmae waiting for their decipherment "BORN IN CHANIA": Eleftherios Venizelos one of the most important politicians of modern Greece THE HOLOCAUST OF ARKADI The defiant defense of this fortress-like monastery during the 1866 Cretan rebellion against the Turks is still legendary and inspirational BORDERING THE LEGEND Papa - Tziritis, the Cretan priest runner THE CONCUBINE OF FOUR ADMIRALS Madame Hortanse, presented by Nikos Kazantzakis in "Alexis Zorbas" was a real person who lived in Crete till 1982 SKINNED ALIVE BY THE TURKS... The history of Daskalogiannis, hero of the Cretan Revolution arts - litterature"OF ALL THE GRACIOUS THINGS UPON THIS EARTH..." Vitsentzos Cornaros, author of Erotokritos A Cretan known as EL GRECO: Domenicos Theotokopoulos "THERE IS A KIND OF FLAME IN CRETE..." Nikos Kazantzakis, one of the most famous Cretans A FABLE IS TRUER THAN TRUTH Harry Mark Petrakis is the most important Greek - American writer, having published 6 novels, 3 collections of short stories and an autobiography. He has been rewarded with the Friends of American Writers Award, the Friends of Litterature Award, the Society of Midlands Authors Award and the Ο’ Henry Award. The fascinating history of his life begins in a colony of Cretan coal-miners in the state of Utah HAVING A PLAY PRESENTED OFF-BROADWAY WASN’T A CONSCIOUS DREAM Stelios Manolakakis, a theatrical writer and director who lives and works in New York, has realized a hidden dream of many artists: presenting his work at a center of international artistic creation CretansMIKIS (THEODORAKIS) FOREVER An exclusive interview with the great Cretan composer and freedom militant who celebrated his 80th birthday this year. SIFIS SIFAKIS AND THE TURING PRIZE. It was approximately forty years ago when he left his hometown, Herakleion, determined to dedicate himself into research. Few weeks ago, he was back in Crete, but this time he carried in his suitcase the highest honor in the filed of Computer Science. The Turing Prize of 2007, were awarded to him for his pioneer work on model checking. We are talking about Sifis Sifakis the research director of CNRS Grenoble, one of the internationally most known scientists in Computer Science and the only Greek who were rewarded with the “Nobel Prize for Computer Science”. THE PLANET HUNTER Paul Kalas , an astronomer of Cretan origins working in the University of Berkeley in California. Kalas made us proud, as he was the first to detect and obtain visible-light images of an extra-solar planet with a Hubble Space Telescope, opening a whole new chapter in the grand and infinite “book of space”. OUR OBJECTIVE IS AN ONLINE CRETAN UNIVERSITY The Cretans of diaspora (leaving all over the world) met again this summer for the congress of the World Council of Cretans. The chairman of the Council, George Simantiris emphasized on the need of connecting the Cretans of the island with those of the diaspora and particularly of the Cretan community in the USA. ...BUT THE ANSWERS MAY CHANGE A pioneer of molecular biology, the second great revolution in bio-sciences, Fotis Kafatos, actually chairman of the European Research Council, answers to a series of crucial questions, though the “answers might change”, as biology is considered the most rapidly evolving sector of contemporary science.. FROM “KYDON” OF CHANIA TO THE MYTHICAL WORLD OF THE NBA One of the very few Greeks basket players who were invited to join a very exclusive club, the NBA championship, Andreas Glyniadakis plays with the Seattle Supersonics and represents Greece and Crete. THE TURKISH-CRETAN WHO CAPTURED HISTORY Rahmizade Behaedin transferred in his glass plates pictures of Crete. According to myth he was riding his white horse around the island capturing images of landscape and people, while many Cretans fascinated with the new invention visited his photographic studio for their first family photo. CINEMA HAS DIED 10 YEARS AGO The name of Walter Lassaly reminds us automatically the well known film "Zorba the Greek", directed by Mihalis Kakogiannis, as he was awarded an Oscar for photography. Actually Walter Lassaly lives near Chania, in the village of Stavros, where some famous plans of “Zorbas” were shot. A CRETAN THAT DESIGNS THE TALLER BUILDINGS OF THE WORLD One of the most important contemporary engineers and a fervent Cretan, Manny Velivasakis has designed the tallest existing skyscraper (the Petronas Towers in Malaysia), was in charge of cleaning the ruins of the World Trading Centre after the destruction of 11th September 2001 and will claim the presidency of the Pancretan Union of America PERFORMING THE IMPOSSIBLE Born in Hania, Georgos Lampathakis has won two Emmy awards for the National Geographic Television THE MESSENGER OF HOMER A brave man who helped communicate messages between Greek and allied forces on Crete during the Second World War, George Psihountakis has also traduced Homer to the Cretan idiom NIKOS KAKLAMANAKIS: The Olympics wind-surfing gold medalist speaks of himself, his aims and goals, and winds up the conversation with . . . a stanza. various articlesI AM A CRETAN KNIFE, WEAPON OF HONOR AND GALLANTRY A symbol of gallantry, a souvenir of tradition, a decorative item of sentimental value, an irreplaceable accessory of the Cretan costume, the Cretan knife is unique in the world and a reminder of the successive battles for freedom and the revolutions against the conquerors. THE “SHEPHERD” PROFESSORS FROM ZONIANA The “shepherd festival” in Zoniana was organized as a response to the urgent need of the inhabitants of the village to cast away the “stigma” and promote the cultural dimensions of animal husbandry. A CONFERENCE “AT SEA” FOR THE CRETANS OF AMERICA The 41st Conference of the Pan-Cretan Association of America was realized “at sea”, at the Libyan and the Cretan sea to be precise. Among the attendants were the President of the Republic, Karolos Papoulias, the Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa, Theodore II, and the minister of Foreign Affairs, Dora Bakoyanni. WHEN THE UNIVERSITY GOES TO THE MOUNTAINS A year has passed since the foundation of the “University of the Mountains” was signed in Omalos of Chania, and the newly founded “University” pioneers in a movement set in the heart of the mountainous areas in Crete. CRETE ON THE BIG SCREEN twenty seven foreign and Greek movies have chosen the island of Crete as their natural setting, radically changing the way people worldwide picture the island. CRETE 23.000.000 B.C. The collection of German paleontologist Siegfried Kuss includes more than eight thousand fossils, all of them found in Crete. The collection was repatriated recently in the Museum of Natural History of Crete. THE HIDDEN SIDE OF HERMES AND THE BASSIN OF SKINAKAS High definition observations of Hermes from the Observatory of Skinaka reveal one of the biggest craters of our solar system! WHEN THE SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS OF MADARES WILL MELT… Unfortunately the climatic changes are obvious, immediate and concern all of us. Especially for Crete the consequences will be serious… EL GRECO THE FILM : TIME FOR PREMIERE The city of Heraklion - birthplace of El Greco - is also the birthplace of Yannis Smaragdis, the visionary creator of the film “EL GRECO”. It is also the place where the shooting took place a year ago, with the cordial participation of hundreds of people from Crete. Therefore the people of the city have every reason to eagerly expect the first worldwide premiere of the film in Heraklion. The director Yannis Smaragdis along with many other people contributing to the film will be there. “OUR” VERY OWN EL GRECO Seven years of preparation, a scenario which has been re-written 26 times, a storyboard of 1130 pages, the contribution of the Laser Laboratory of the Institute of Technology and Research of Crete which has “re-created” the very special painting technique of El Greco, shootings in three countries, a casting of excellent actors and contributors. “El Greco”, a film by Giannis Smaragdis is an international production with a budget of seven millions of euros, the most expensive Greek film of all times. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I DON’T LOOK BRITISH AND I CONSIDER THIS A COMPLIMENT! Director Giannis Smaragdis has seen a re-incarnation of Dominikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco) in the face of Nick Ashdon, a 27 years old British actor. SEARCHING FOR THE LOST TREASURE OF THE JEWS The hunt for what is presented as “the most important lost treasure of the Mediterranean” WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR SWIMMING SUIT? The only nudist hotel of Greece operates in Crete, near Sfakia, while many of the island unique beaches are included in international nudist guides and are frequented by naturists, both local and foreigners THE ARMY OF DESPAIR Crete is an intermediary station for clandestine immigrants following a route to an uncertain future “OZA” IN THE MOUNTAINS Livestock-farming is present in Crete as long as man exists in the island, we could thus safely say that the oldest Cretan profession is the one of shepherd. Historical reports are unnecessary though for those who can see the exceptional communication between contemporary Cretan shepherds and their flock SIX KILOMETERS OF UNEXPLORED DEPTHS - It is the first time that the underground of the mountains of Sitia is mapped and some remarkable photos, which are published for the first time, show the difficulties of a technically demanding expedition, as the standing waters inside caves and crawlways had to be drained out. A BARONESS AT THE LIBYAN SEA Lady Marks holds the title of baroness - this is why she is called a “Lady” – and managerial positions in 112 corporations involved with culture, research or charity A CRETAN…JURASSIC PARK The fascinating story of changes which led to the current shape of Crete and the dominance of the master species, is completed piece by piece each time the paleontologists’ pickaxe reveals a hidden part of the puzzle VENDETTA IN CRETAN LITERATURE Cretan vendetta, so deeply rooted in the wider ethos of the island, could in no way be absent from Cretan literature, noticeably focusing in topics revealing the intense passion so characteristic of this island’s particular spirit A CIRCLE ON A CROSS ROAD Crete is famous for its history and its legends. The “Circle on the cross road” is the magic process by which Cretan musicians learned how to play in abundance of art the lyre, probably the most representative of all musical instruments of Crete A PLACE IN THE SUN Many foreign visitors combine their vacations with the search of a rural residence in Crete or a profitable land investment in some traditional village of the island CRETE UNEXPLAINED UFOs and other mysterious and extraterrestrial appearances VENDETTA: THE LAW OF BLOOD The words fear, hesitation, retraction or refusal do not have place in a blood feud. A research over this archaic social phenomenon that characterizes Crete THE ADVENTURES OF MANOUSAKAS Hero of a 100% Cretan comic GOURGOUTHAKAS SHAFT CAVE (1208 m. deep) CONQUERED: Located on the White Mountains of Crete, this is the deepest shaft cave in Greece and among the 30 deepest in the world THE MINOANS : A PEOPLE WHO LOVED THE SEA A travelogue in contemporary Crete by Morelle Smith SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN CRETE Suggestions for an environmentally-friendly tourism industry TRACING ...THE CRETAN HOUND A 4000 year old canine pedigree THE TREES OF FAITH Walking through Cretan tradition we discovered two trees that have chosen a holy place to take root Working Off the Farmer's Tan, Cretan Style A very amusing travelogue about Crete by Gary Singh IN THE DEPTHS OF THE EARTH: Exclusive photographs illustrating the activity of Cretan speleologists who descend to the deepest caves of the island in search of adventure and answer to scientific questions. THE CRETANS OF THE DESERT: In the depths of Syria, there is Hamidie, a village populated by people of Cretan descent and origin. These people speak the Cretan dialect in its unadulterated form and maintain the Cretan customs and morals. THE HOTHOUSE ACROBATS: The «nylon» men of Ierapetra on duty. EXPLOSIONS IN THE CRETAN SEA: The scourge of illegal fishing. There are times when a distant thunder «washes» to the shore a message of impending grief. This thunder is identified by the locals as «fishing by dynamite», an illegal activity which has been going on for a good number of years on Crete. INTERNATIONAL CRETAN STUDIES CONFERENCE: This international conference represents an institution established by the late eminent personalities of Crete Messrs. N. Platon and A. Kalokairinos. Cretan Nature TOP CRETAN BEACHES At Stigmes we consider ourselves experts in Crete and its beaches. Therefore, we present this photographic exploration to some of the most astonishing beaches and coasts of our island. EXCLUSIVELY IN CHRISI ISLAND The flower Colchicum costurieri is a native flower of Chrisi, meaning that in this planet you can only find it on this tiny island, south of Crete. Since its first description in 1967, this is the first time it has been photographed A CHAMOIS WHICH REFUSES TO TAME – Kri-Kri, wild goat, “agrimi” or Capra Aegagrus Cretensis, however you may call it, you will always be talking about the an animal unique to Crete (as it’s latin surname, Cretensis, explains) A HUNDRED AND TWENTY DIFFERENT ORCHIDS IN ONE SQUARE METER OF CRETAN SOIL! Anna Ohmer, a German botanist, has chosen Crete for her holidays in 1992, but she lives now for 14 years in this place where the scents of wild herbs fill the mountain air, exploring the local flora and especially orchids, on which she has written a book named “Orchids of Crete” THE WILD CAT OF CRETE: The ghost-animal In the Himalayas, there is the Yeti; in Scotland, there is the monster of Loch Ness, in Crete, there is the wild cat, only this time the «monster» has been captured and studied. THE ISLAND WHERE SPRING IS FOREVER The flora of Crete is not only rich, but also interesting: a large number of plants and herbs are always in blossom and when perceived in their particular habitat create the impression of perpetual, cyclic spring I LOVE TO FLY HIGH An interview with the legendary gypaetus barbatus, the proud Cretan eagle who sadly slides into extinction WHERE NO MAN HAS SET FOOT BEFORE Crete, with its high-relief landscape is a paradise for canyoning, which means exploring gorges using alpinism techniques. Cretan wine - Cretan diet - recipes of Crete
The Cretan (Mediterranean) Diet:
Lose Weight, Live Longer and Healthier
As early as the 1950s researchers
were struck by the lower rates of heart disease, stroke and some kinds of cancer
they observed among people who consumed what has come to be known as “the
Mediterranean diet.” A 30-year, 7-nation comparative study sponsored by the
World Health Organization spurred even further interest when it confirmed
unusually low rates of heart disease among men from the Isle of Crete, even
though they consumed surprisingly high levels of fat. Through these early
research findings, a picture developed of this Mediterranean diet—one built on
bread, fruit, vegetables, fish, a few dairy foods, and two surprise
ingredients—wine and olive oil. And an enormous amount of research has been
devoted to identifying its benefits and explaining how it works. What’s the Mediterranean diet? And why don't we call it "Cretan Diet" anymore TSIKOUDIA WARMS THE COCKLES OF OUR HEART! After centuries of evolution of the distillation techniques and equipment by different peoples around the world, and after its use for the distillation of various fluids (as for example, in perfumery and pharmaceutics), the first distillation of tsikoudia officially takes place in 1920, in Crete. Since then, tsikoudia is distilled in copper cauldrons (called rakokazana) from the beginning of October to the end of November. The whole process becomes a celebration in which friends and relatives take part by sampling the tsikoudia as it is being made! LOVE FOR THE CRETAN WINE Consumers’ wider and expanding knowledge on wines, the open markets and the improvement of varieties, today’s know-how and new scientific data, technological progress and many other factors, affect vitally the Cretan wine producers and help them through their beautiful and resourceful annual journey. THE REBIRTH OF THE CRETAN WINE The Cretan wine, little by little, claims its own share in the field of wines and spirits, gaining attention and preference. Some new people in the field of wine production and sales have their own contribution to improve the image of the Cretan wine. Moussaka, the national dish of the Aegean Sea by Mirsini Lambraki Caper: the rose of the Mediterannean The Cretan diet has been widely acknowledged as a factor of human longevity. Starting with this issue Mrs. Myrsini Lambraki has a few traditional recipes for our readers. Read about caper or capers (the rose of the Mediterranean) and a recipe for a rabbit meal – a treat for the gourmet readers. "Kaltsounia" in cake tins Everyone who has visited Crete knows that the "kaltsouni" is one of the islands culinary trademarks Kourabiedes sugar-coated biscuits prepared specially for Christmas ****** STIGMES is edited only in Greek! *********
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