Evritiki Zygia

Evritiki Zygia was founded in 2007 by musicians who played mostly in local festivals, their main concern being the preservation and evolution of the Thracian musical tradition. It is called “Evritiki,” because the group is located in Evros, the northeastern part of Greece, which belongs to the geographical territory of Thrace, considered to be the homeland of Orpheus. The band features primitive musical instruments deeply rooted in the tradition and mind of the Thracian locals – the bagpipe, the Thracian lyra, the kaval, and the davul. Instruments that intertwined for thousands of years with Thrace, forming an integral part in the life cycle of the Thracians – joy, sadness, marriage, death, work, migration. During that period (2007) these instruments were almost extinct as only very few and mainly elder musicians of the Evros region would play them. Evritiki Zygia took those instruments and brought them back to the forefront, re-introduced them in festivals, and gave younger musicians the incentive to include them in their own bands. Today, in the general region of Evros and during the summer there are festivals where this music can be heard at least four days a week. The collaboration with Teranga Beat helped this project evolve even further. Forms of arrangements different than the ones used in festivals and feasts were introduced, giving more space to the dynamics of the instruments, and allowing musicians to showcase both their improvisational and compositional skills. The distinctively psychedelic element of Thracian music was enhanced with the introduction of the CRB-Diamond 800 organ and the Moog, giving the whole project a hybrid sound with a unique identity. The tracks that appear on the album comprise both covers of traditional songs and original compositions and were recorded in a two-day live studio session.

The group's highest point was their appearance at the Womex Festival in 2018, where their music was presented for the first time in front of an international audience. This was an extremely important achievement, given that up until then this type of music remained unknown even to Greek audiences. But it was also a great and very creative experience for the group, as it broadened up its musical horizons. On March 27, 2020 the group released “Ormenion,” their first album on Teranga Beat label, and received glorious reviews from all over the world. The album stayed on the World Music Charts for months and their new audience is thirsty to watch the group live for this unique experience.

Group members:
Spyros Stratos: bagpipe
Stratis Passopoulos: vocals, kaval
Aggelos Stratos: davul, percussion
Pantelis Agkistriotis: Thracian lyre
Yiorgos Drikoudis: Farfisa organ
Moog Theodoros Bournas: sound engineer