Authentic recordings (1920-1955)
GIORGIS KALOGRIDIS
CD from the series "The Masters"
Giorgis Kalogridis was born in 1923 in Spili, Agios Vasilios, in the prefecture of Rethymnon (a village that largely determined the Cretan musical tradition of the 20th century, rebuilding some of its most prominent representatives) and died in America in 1999.
At the age of fourteen he began to deal with the lyre next to his fellow lyrers Stefanis Vassilakis (Kondylis) and Giorgis Markogiannakis (Markogiorgis).
Occupation finds him in Spili and a few years later he leaves for Athens, where he will settle for a short time. During this period (1946) he recorded his first album, "Many times in my sleep", which is considered to be a song as classic as "Itia" for Roumeli and "Amarantos" for the Mori. In total, during the decade 1946-1956 he recorded twenty songs, some of which are their own compositions and are distinguished for their impeccable performance, their amazing melody and their wonderful song from the excellent voice of G. Kalogridis himself, a voice that is rare today. In some of his recordings he collaborated with the excellent singer Irini Brillaki Kavakopoulou, also Spiliani, with whom he recorded the rhythmic "Eat and pint" lords and the traditional syrtos "In the sky, I will go up (the first one)".
It is worth mentioning the special attention that Giorgos Kalogridis shows in the selection of mantinades, which decisively contributes to the achievement of the high quality that characterizes his work. All his recordings were made with the collaboration of the two well-known Spilian brothers Yiannis and Vangelis Markogiannakis (Markogiannis were also the great and important collaborators of the other great Spilian lyras, Thanasis Skordalos).
The gifted lyricist is invaded in New York in 1966, and in 1977, after a stroke, his golden hand paralyzes, depriving him of his own and his music in general of the opportunity for his new compositions. However, his musical offer until then remains, in order to mark the course of our musical tradition, and establishes the obligation of immense gratitude on the part of the music of Crete.
Giorgis Kalogridis is not easy to portray. It belongs to the great generation of artists who fell in love with our music and raised it very high in those difficult times. The first and masterpieces of the Cretan musical tradition.His purposes and songs, always tender as his soul, are distinguished for their sweetness and eroticism. Samples of dexterity, simplicity, rhythm and balance and above all respect.
Those who favored with his lyre are able to say much more about the man and artist Kalogridis, the singer of love. A pity that fate prematurely deprived our music of such an artistic figure. Surely, if he still held the bow, Crete and our folk music would have an even bigger and bigger job.Whatever the case, it will be a reference point for Cretan music of yesterday and tomorrow.
Manolis Pantinakis journalist
In that category of the people who have a strong and exuberant passion, Giorgos Kalogridis belongs to them.
Passion: a word that the oldest at least used to attribute some attributes that characterized some people, such as: sensitivity, mercy, flame, eroticism, madness, grievance, and any other such concept could define an artistic nature
Thus, with a passion, G. Kalogridis did not need more skills or prerequisites to excel in his field of activity. If instead of the bow tried to hold a paintbrush or chisel or helmet, it is certain that everything that would come out of his hands would also have the stamp of passion.
Light-eyed luminous souls such people become the receivers of old feelings that come from very distant beginnings, through the midst of time. Receivers of sounds, images and memories, passing through the elaborate workshop of their soul, get more lively, more youthful, more elegant forms. Receivers and transmitters, but with the intermediary existence of a flamboyant uterus that continuously generates the substance of artistic creation.
The lyra player, the poet, the sculptor, the painter, the fairy-tale, etc. actors of folk culture are the conduits of social sentiments that encircle them in a certain form, in a form, in a rhythm, and while they are distinctly "fingerprints" of their soul, they still reflect a wider and general expressive need.
These are the folk artists. In All Places of Art. This is Kalogridis, every Kalogridis. Intended to collect the light, make it on his fingers and scatter hot and fresh his radiant rays, fiery the darkness of the heart and mind of fellow humans. A missionary who moves on lonely paths, sowing love, for the beauty and blossom of our life to blossom.
Nowadays, where various terrorists of the senses are thickening their attacks, we really need the "art snipers", such as George Kalogridis.
Giorgis Karatzis, folk poet
