Digenis Akritas - Epic Byzantine Music

Painting by Dimitris Skourtelis, please check out more of his wonderful work here:    • Ο Σαρακενός  

Arrangement and vocals by Farya Faraji, including traditional Pontic Greek motifs and a traditional Byzantine chant. Please note that this isn't reconstructed Byzantine music, and nor does it seek to be, it's modern Greek music with a Byzantine theme. Digenís Akrítas can be said to be the Medieval Greek Herakles: he is a folk figure emerging in the tradition of the Akritic songs; epic poetry detailing his heroic deeds and adventures. Digenis is the son of a Saracen and a Cappadocian Greek woman, hence his name “Digenis,” the “two-blooded,” and Akritas is a reference to his function as a border guard of the empire, the akritai.

Given the character’s dual Arab-Greek origins, I wanted this piece to be a fusion of Arabic and Greek music, therefore I researched traditional Pontic Greek motifs played on the Pontic Lyre, and played it alongside traditional Arabic musical sounds. I also used the Good Friday Lamentation, a traditional Byzantine hymn, in both Greek and Arabic. The idea was to utilise the cultural elements of Digenis Akritas’ origins instead of directly using the Akritic songs, which have been put to music by better composers than I already.

Lyrics translation:
Oh Jesus the Life, when you have been laid in a tomb,
The heavenly soldiers were amazed and all of them praised your descent,