reviews:
"CD review by fRoots and Elisavet Sotiriadou, for "Round Trip"
Kompanía are back less than a year since their previous release, Kompanía Live and they take us on a Round Trip journey of rebetika and smyrneika songs. Four of the album’s thirteen tracks are traditional and the other nine are by composers like Tsitsanis, Toundas and Eskenazi.
The album starts with a gentle tsifteteli Arapína Mou Skertsóza sung by Katerina Tsiridou. Erináki is a slow song about unrequited love with heartbreaking lead vocal by Sotiris Papatragiannis, beautifully accompanied by Giannis Kalafatelis on accordeon, Loek Schrievers on slide guitar and then the resonator guitar and guitar of Dimitris Kranidas and Nikos Protopapas picking up the rhythm to turn it into a hasaposerviko, lightening the atmosphere, though the love remains unrequited. O Pinóklis is one of my favourites with faster rhythm and tragicomic lyrics. The slide guitar intro is reminiscent of Nashville, but we’re actually en route from the port of Pireus to New York. I have never heard the name Tsoklis (it comes from Themistokles), but this song is the anthem of a true mangas, the strong cool guy who’s sadly taken the wrong path in life and lost his money at cards. Papatragiannis’ singing and the brilliant and witty lyrics make this a true diamond. Chanoumáki is a karsilamas dance with an upbeat rhythm that should get you dancing, although the album is otherwise fairly laid-back.
Two more favourites are Pame Sta Bouzoukia and the more serious Ksipnó Ke Vlépo Sídera (Ta Mandala). Don’t be afraid of the long titles, the accompanying booklet has short descriptions of each song with titles in roman characters and English translations. Matia Mou (San Pas Sta Kséna) was sung in the past by Domna Samiou, Glykeria and Chronis Aidonidis, and now Kranidas gives his extraordinary interpretation. The final track Thalassáki Mou is one of the most beautiful ballads on this album, with Tsiridou again showing her vocal range and powers. Round Trip is by musicians that live and breathe rebetika and who have chosen less well-known songs. Beautifully arranged, with the voices of Tsiridou, Papatragiannis and Kranidas yet again capturing that authentic sound of rebetika and Greek blues to the soul and bone. Wonderful percussions by Ulas Aksunger too.
By Elisavet Sotiriadou, April 2014
www.frootsmag.com
