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Mavra Helidonia / Μ​α​υ​́​ρ​α Χ​ε​λ​ι​δ​ο​́​ν​ι​α

from Afromantinades by Afromantinades, Lefteris Grigoriou, Dimitris Athanasopoulos

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about

A remake of a traditional song from Epirus with the addition of our own lyrics about long distance relationships. Epirus is the only area in Greece where the pentatonic scale is still used, so there is a direct connection with african scales and colours.I want to thank Xanthoula Dakovanou that first proposed and sung this song!

lyrics

scroll down for english translation

Μαύρα μου χελιδόνια από την αραπιά
κι άσπρα μου περιστέρια από τη μοσκοβιά
όπου ψηλά πετάτε για χαμηλώσατε
χαμήλωσ’ τσι φτερούγες να κόψω ένα φτερό
να γράψω ένα γράμμα και μια ψιλή γραφή
να γράψω στην καλή μου να μη με καρτερεί

Να σου πω τι να πώ
Να σου πώ κι αν θα τ´ακούσεις
Να σου πώ κι αν τ΄άκούς από δω
Να σου πώ κι αν θα τ´ακούσεις και πως
χαμηλώνει το φως κι εχει γίνει θολό
εχει γίνει θολό και τ’ αυτί και το στόμα
έχει γίνει θόλο κι αν το θέλω ακόμα
έχει γίνει θόλο κι αν το θέλω


Eδώ στα ξένα που’ ρθα α και στα μακρινά
πήρα γυναίκα ξένη μάγισσα πεθερά
μαγεύει τα καράβια κι όλες τις θάλασσες
και μάγεψε και μένα και δεν μπορώ να ‘ρθω

Κι ανάμεσα μας ένα δάσος κολώνες και σύρματα
κι αναμεσά μας ένα δάσος απ’όνειρα που βγήκαν
ένα δάσος απ’όνειρα που περιμένουν να βγούν
Κι ανάμεσα μας ένα δάσος κολώνες,εικόνες
από σήματα και σύρματα που περιμένουν και δίνουν
και φέρνουν εικόνες και σήματα
κι αναμεσά μας ένα δάσος

Όντες κινώ για να’ ρθω αντάρες και βροχές
κι όντε γυρίζω πίσω ήλιος και ξαστεριές

English translation

My black swallows from North Africa
and my white pigeons from Muscovy
where you fly high
lower your wings so I can cut a feather
to write a letter to my girlfriend not to wait for me anymore

I want to tell you.. but what to say
Let me tell you, even if is not sure you can listen to me from here
Let me tell you but how
The light dims, and it has become blurry
both the ear and the mouth
has become blurry even though I want it
it has become blurry, your shape
it has become blurry even though I want it

Here in the foreign and the distant places i came
I got a foreign wife with a witch mother-in-law
She enchants the ships and all seas
and bewitched me too and I can't come back

And between us there is a forest of poles and wires
And between us is a forest of accomplished dreams
and a forest of dreams waiting to come true
And between us is a forest of columns, of images
of signals and wires waiting and taking and bringing images and signals
And between us there is a forest

When I start to come back to you a terrible storm rises
And when I return there the sun shines again over the clear sky

credits

from Afromantinades, released December 10, 2023
music and lyrics – Lefteris Grigoriou / traditional

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about

Lefteris Grigoriou Athens, Greece

Lefteris Grigoriou is a teacher and performer based in Athens, Greece. He owns and runs the school Ta Krousta tis Taki, teaching african and greek percussion between others and performs with the group Afromantinades as well as Global Daoulia playing the Ngoni, djembe and bagpipes. ... more

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