CD OURAKAS

The songs and the music of our performance “Ourakas, a journey across the ocean” were published in a cd as Stigmi’s independent production (2000).

MUSIC: Sotiris Debonos.  POETRY: Alexandros Montessantos

Alexandros Montessantos was born in Argostoli Kefalonia and died in Athens (1898-1965). He worked as a sailor for many years,but in 1958 he entered the Mental Clinic of Dafni, where he lived to the end.His up to now known poetry is not long and it is published in o­ne volume titled “BARCO MACAO” (Erasmus Editions, 1990). But in our cd many of his poems were introduced for first time(granting from Aggellodionysis Debonos’ archive). His poetry has intense reference to Nikos Kavvadias, with a lot of nautical terminology and Kefaloean idioms and it is about the sailor’s life.

 REVIEWS o­n CD “URAKAS”

“Urakas is considered a unique particularity compared to the chronicles of music in Greece. It is the o­nly compilation of songs that, notwithstanding their eternally romantic and characteristic ethnic tone, suggest a contemporary notion of acoustics and technique.

When digital technology undertakes to process and reproduce the expressiveness of such musical organs as violin, viola, vibraphone, accordion, saxophone, classic guitar, bass and so o­n, the feeling tends to remain floating between what is given and what lies ahead.

One wonders, at which point of our traditional precedence to classify and place such lyrical poetic material as this.  Apparently at a place where tradition evolves in something deeply internal as well as contemporary, just like this music, so distant from whatever is considered volatile and seasonal”.

A. Zilos, “Difono” Magazine, August 2000

One would describe this project as a daring “Kefallonian” - from the Greek island of Kefallonia - experiment.  This is because the inspiration and technique of  S. Debonos are far from the trite and generally conventional.

P. Geramanis, Newspaper “TA NEA”  24/06/2000

“...violin, saxophone, mandolin, Ionian roots and classical influence as well as singing that sways by the tension of a sudden satiric storm and similarly by the soft waves of a lullaby...

If you are moved by the rare flowers that grow o­n top of the official record industry, then you must definitely hear this record.”

G. Allamanis, “Melodia” magazine July 2000

“The images of the “captain” liven up in o­ne of the most creative attempts to promote the wealth of the “Kefallonian” musical tradition at an international level…”

G. Christodoulopoulos, “EPSILON” Magazine of “Eleftherotypia” newspaper 6/11/00

“The imaginative orchestration and the haunted musical scenery it creates can easily be compared to soundtracks... and form a blend of music that can o­nly be characterised as artistic popular…”

A. Koutsouflakis, “MONOPOLY” Magazine, September 2000

“… the music of S. Debonos is submissive and catalytic with respect to the emotions it creates…”

A. Karalazos in  http://www.atraktos.gr

“…Come o­n board the musical nautilus of Sotiris Debonos without delay. The wandering in the exotic parallels will bring unexpected findings to surface, while, in case of storm, deliverance will be brought by the ghost of writer “Kavvadias”, who wanders in the haunted depths of “Urakas”.

Spilios Tzemos  in http://www.in.gr

“…S. Debonos writes his «soothing» music and touches the “cursed words” with sacred respect… having o­ne thing in mind; that his verses will never drown like the  “rotten boats” that had immediately haunted the mind of the captain….”

Fontas Trousas “Tzaz & Jazz” magazine, February 2001

“Sotiris Debonos might be a Kefallonian - from the Greek island of Kefallonia – but not a typical o­ne... the more o­ne sinks into the delicate introvert wanderings of poet “Alexandros Montessantos” who inspired Debonos’ melodies, the more o­ne discovers facts which mould the Ionian romanticism into something so contemporary but yet so traditional…

… the more o­ne is impressed by the artist’s “thorough” point of view with respect to tradition and the more o­ne wonders of the source of inspiration by such a delicate but so idiosyncratic muse.

… shall we call it a post modern opus?  That would be unfair to his deep sentimentalism… maybe it’s fair to say that Sotiris is after all a typical Kefallonian.

A. Zilos in  http://www.exagram.com

More in website: www.livieratos.gr