Upon dropping online a few months ago, big DJs heralded the new track by German DJ/producer TH;EN called “Katania.” It hit my playlists almost immediately since my algorithm on Spotify is filled with hashtags like #melodictechno and #melodichouse
Giants like Solomun included the song in his set in Buenos Aires in front of tens of thousands of fans as did Pete Tong, Innellea and Kevin De Vries.
The song is called Katania. When I first heard it, it transported me in my mind to a village somewhere in northern Greece where the traditional sounds reminded me of old Thracian or Bulgarian choruses of women singing in harmony. There was even a bit of “mourning” in the tone that reminded me of the Epirus women who sing the “mirologia,” or songs sung after one’s death.
Of course, the beats and rhythms and electronic vibes brought these ancient sounds to contemporary times and quickly brought me back to a rave party dance floor in Amsterdam or Berlin. As a Greek, the mix of the chilling vocals, coupled for my love for melodic techno and house music, was perfect.
After some research, I found the vocals that the DJ sampled– a women’s chorus from Cyprus called Amalgamation Choir and the song, fittingly, was a song about xenitia, or the notion of leaving one’s home for foreign lands. The enchanting voices of these women, coupled with the Greek lyrics (posted below) and the musical arrangement by Giorgos Kalogirou are stunning.
My very unpoetic and loose translation of the lyrics:
High atop the Kykkos Mountain, the fog is low and an eagle is looking for water. He finds a lone, weather-worn pine tree, whose roots are even thirsty, seeking some water from the spring. The eagle is perched on a branch and asks the tree, who owns the spring and doesn’t offer you some water? It belongs to eros (love), says the tree and from its sadness is drying up. May the beautiful maiden return from the darkness of the foreign lands and find her young lad, who is sad because he had to leave. May he return, so that the spring will flow again, so the mountains will bloom again.
Listen to the original version from Amalgamation Choir
Listen to the electronic music techno version by TH;EN
Original Greek lyrics
ΣΤΙΧΟΙ Η ΞΕΝΙΤΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΡΩΤΑ
( ΣΤΟΥ ΚΥΚΚΟΥ ΤΑ ΒΟΥΝΑ )
Πάνω στου Κύ, βρα ‘μαν αμαν,
πάνω στου Κύκκου τα βουνά
Πάνω στου Κύκκου τα βουνά
πέφτει η ομίχλη χαμηλά
Κι ένας αητός, βρα ‘μαν αμαν,
Κι ένας αητός ψάχνει να βρει
Κι ένας αητός ψάχνει να βρει
νεράκι κρύο για να πιεί
Βρίσκει ένα πεύκο, αμάν αμάν,
βρίσκει ένα πεύκο μοναχό
Βρίσκει ένα πεύκο μοναχό
μαραζωμένο απ’ τον καιρό
Διψάει κι η ρίζα, αμάν αμάν,
διψάει κι η ρίζα του να πιεί
Διψάει κι η ρίζα του να πιεί
νεράκι κρύο απ’ την πηγή
Σ’ ένα κλαδί του, αμάν αμάν,
σ’ ένα κλαδί του χαμηλά
Σ’ ένα κλαδί του χαμηλά
στέκει ο αητός και το ρωτά
Ποιος αφεντεύει, αμάν αμάν,
ποιος αφεντεύει την πηγή
ποιος αφεντεύει την πηγή
και δεν κρένει νερό να πιεί
Του έρωτα, βρα ‘μαν αμαν,
του έρωτα είν’ η πηγή
Του έρωτα είν’ η πηγή
κι απ’ τον καημό του καρτερεί
Να ‘ρθει απ’ τη μαύρη, αμάν αμάν,
να ‘ρθει απ’ τη μαύρη ξενιτιά
Να ‘ρθει απ’ τη μαύρη ξενιτιά
η όμορφη η κορασά
Να βρει το νιο, βρα ‘μαν αμαν,
να βρει το νιο που καρτερεί
Να βρει το νιο που καρτερεί
κι απ’ το φευγιό της πια δε ζει
Κι απ’την πηγή, βρα ‘μαν αμαν,
κι απ’την πηγή να πιούν ξανά
Κι απ’την πηγή να πιούν ξανά
ν’ ανθίσουν πάλι τα βουνά
