Listen to Tuesday: Greek folk music

When I was Couchsurfing in Thessaloniki a couple of days ago, my host Giota introduced me to Greek folk music. I'd never heard any Greek music before and was coming into it fresh, but listening for the first time I decided that I didn't quite know where to place it but definitely liked it.

Greek folk music is interesting - Southern European music with the use of plenty of plucked strings and a laid-back folksy vibe, the Greek equivalent of indie folk.

Lots of modern Greek folk music makes use of traditional instruments - the bouzouki, tzouras and baglama, plucked string instruments of the lute family that have heavy influence from neighbouring Turkey. As a result it sometimes sounds almost Middle Eastern, which is not what you might usually expect from European music.

Although Greek folk music isn't well-known outside of its native country, it really should be. Here are some musicians with music to start with.

Alkinoos Ioannidia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybBE3Z1HNyc

Giannis Xaroulis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBkKNjDDs4g

Thanasis Papakonstantinou

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0daJ3PsOI2I

Sokratis Malamas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuiLeQIZnFk

Giannis Aggelakas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS-l3DTIGAI

Melina Kana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmvbHk5o3KM