Γιασεμίν / Ha Yasmin

Two different songs about the same flower, side by side.

Same melody, different scale?

It's already been mentioned, but let's have it again: here in its Asia Minor version (Στη σμύρνη μες την Αρμενιά) the song is almost identical to the Cypriot version, though the melody is in sabâ makamı



In the Cypriot version (Αγάπησα την που καρθκιάς) it sounds more like a Western minor scale.


In this forum discussion, the speculative explanation attributes the change to the limited melodic capacities of the tsambouna.

A more sinister link might be drawn here with the de-turkification of music under the Metaxas dictatorship's censorship, with 'oriental'-sounding scales ('τα μπεμόλια') being replaced with Western minor scales (see e.g. this article which discusses Tsitsanis' mention of the subject).

Bu aklu fikr ile

It's already been noted that the song Loulla mou maroulla mou has a melody that's similar to those found in Asia Minor and the Aegean islands.

There's also some similarity with this sufi hymn (Ilahi), written by the 12th-13th century poet Yunus Emre.

Ξηροστεριανό νερό

Continuing from this one. (via I.)

On more food

The Ottoman food map covers koupepia, 'cypriot' coffee, ouzo and zivania, houmoi, etc.

You can also listen to the relevant interview on the Ottoman history podcast (which, by the way, is also an excellent source on the music of the region).



(See also previous entry here: http://cypromusicology.blogspot.com/2012/06/meze.html)