While I was conducting research for this project, I intended to connect with my roots through different ways. At first, I talked to my grandmother who is a Sarakatsani, an ethnic Greek population subgroup who were traditionally transhumant shepherds centered on the Pindus mountain range. The Sarakatsani people are some of the oldest indigenous groups of Europe that reside in the Balkans: Greece, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Albania. 

 

Even though I initiated the conversation with my grandmother to learn about the role music, dance, and poetry played for the Sarakatsani people, I ended up learning so much more about their history outside music and dance. I had the opportunity to look at a genealogy tree that includes my grandmother, as well as see how they used to live in their traditional huts built in mountainous regions. Seeing the genealogy tree, the huts, the traditional costumes, and researching more about this indigenous group allowed me to delve deeper into something that was not given importance in my life, as I never considered being Sarakatsani as a part of my identity. I only saw myself as Greek. It is so interesting that some words that you have learnt as a kid do not mean anything to you, even know you know them, until you rethink about them as an adult. As a result of this research project, I educated myself about my ethnic background and the history of my ancestors. This has sparked a new interest in me in terms of future projects I want to conduct, as I would like to interview my grandmother about how she grew up as well as document the huts and museums about the Sarakatsani people near my area. Even though people do not live this lifestyle anymore, it is still important to preserve it in our memories. 

 

Apart from talking to my grandmother, I also decided to go to the cinema to watch the movie about the life of Stelios Kazantzidis, a singer that is considered a legend in the history of Greek traditional music. This experience allowed me to learn more about the λαϊκό τραγούδι, a style I did not research for this project as I focused on Δημοτικό. As I already mentioned, λαϊκό τραγούδι, has a specific songwriter and was not created by the people as a collective but still related to the people and their stories. By watching the movie, I was able to compare the similarities and differences between the two genres not only in terms of history but also thematically. In particular, it seems that λαϊκό τραγούδι also focuses on romance as a central theme, as well as ξενιτιά, a word for all the Greeks who immigrated in other places in a search for a better life, but never forgot their homeland. 

 

Throughout my research, I also found it really interesting to see the regional differences of dance styles and how they relate to the historical context (e.g. who was conquered by who, the mixes of populations etc). I also educated myself more about the region where I am from, Epirus, and understood in depth why the music and dances are slower and more melancholic, compared to other regions. 

 

Lastly, I did not know that my research about Greek folk dances is actually an entire field of research named ethnochoreology. This has further inspired me to read and research more about the histories of dance around the world.