Putumayo Presents Greece: A Musical Odyssey
Reviewed by Anala Rabari
If you aren't familiar with the Putumayo world music series you should get familiar with it. They release music compilations from various regions of the world. This particular CD is of Greek music. The liner notes are fantastic! It's a 39 page booklet in English, Spanish, and French. There is an entry on every song, including a bio on the artist and translations of the song. There is also a Greek music glossary that covers music instruments, genres, dance styles, as well as other terms. A recipe and photos of Greek life are also included. Pronunciation is also included for all the song titles and artist names.
Most of the artists on this disc are commercially successfully in Greece, so the songs all sound very polished and professional. This may leave some listeners disappointed in the lack of a really raw folk sound. However, I think most listeners will be pleased with passion present in these songs, most of which are about love. Tempos run the gambit from slow, to walking tempo, to fast. You will recognize traditional Greek rhythms that are stereotypical of what is used in most movies and TV shows, but each has its own twist. The instrumentation is beautiful in every song with the familiar accordion, guitar, bouzouki, and santouri. Some of my favorite tracks are Pino, Ela Mia Nichta, and An M' Agapas, Tha S' Agapo.