By Sotiris Bekas
The Department of Music Studies at the University of Ioannina, located on the university campus in Arta, is the institutional successor to the Department of Folk and Traditional Music, which has been operating in this Epirus city since 1999. Within this framework, thousands of young musicians have been trained, and multiple music ensembles and creative ideas have emerged from a blend of people influenced by musical traditions from across Greece and even beyond.
URBAN 𐌌ØĐÂĿ is a prime example of such musical coexistence and fusion. This musical collective was formed by Dimosthenis Karachristodoulou (politiki lyra), Loukas Metaxas (percussion), and Giorgos Vallianatos (lafta), all students at the Department of Music Studies. Together, they embarked on a fascinating creative journey. Like in most student communities, the three musicians met through shared interests, in this case, modal music and its place in the contemporary world. This connection was particularly fostered during ensemble music courses. While each of them is active in various fields of musical performance, their shared chemistry and aesthetic motivated them to form a trio in October 2020.
Initially, they rehearsed to discover a creative path. Although they played what is broadly known as “early music,” they decided to focus on contemporary modal music. With respect for the past but open to modern innovations in the field, their approach involves studying and interpreting compositions with connections to Greece. This focus led to their official debut as URBAN 𐌌ØĐÂĿ. Recently, they launched the YouTube series “PLACES,” showcasing live performances in different locations. Examples include “Maritsa the Smyrnian” by Dimitris Semsis (performed in the Basmane district of Smyrna) and a variation of the Aivaliotiko Zeibekiko, known in Turkey as Hovarda Zeybeği (performed in Ayvalik).
In the summer of 2024, URBAN 𐌌ØĐÂĿ presented the song “Ola ta Astra Prostaxa” (“I Commanded All the Stars”) in collaboration with the versatile musician, composer, and academic Nikos Andrikos. “Some time ago, Nikos chose us for two concerts in Athens related to his research on the urban music tradition of Constantinople, without knowing we were a trio. Later, we invited him to collaborate on pieces from his repertoire. Now, he honored us by letting us debut one of his most luminous pieces,” said Loukas Metaxas to folkradio.gr. In addition to Dimosthenis Karachristodoulou, Loukas Metaxas, and Giorgos Vallianatos, the song featured Anna Kouklaki (kanun), a regular collaborator with URBAN 𐌌ØĐÂĿ, while Adriani Houliara and Phoebe Oikonomou choreographed the piece beautifully. The song’s vocals were performed by its composer, Nikos Andrikos (also playing lafta), with lyrics by Maria Koumba.
Andrikos commented that, “This piece carries an optimistic, refreshing, yet tender aura that permeates the project: lyrics, composition, instrumental and vocal delivery, and choreography. Its aesthetic makes it accessible to a broad audience, even though the execution—particularly the vocal performance—remains technically and stylistically demanding. Finally, I must highlight the excellent and aesthetically compatible dance performance by Phoebe and Adriani, who embodied the melody, rhythm, and lyrics. The dialogue between my compositions and movement and dance is a new challenge that has preoccupied me lately.”
Metaxas added, “Nikos Andrikos is not only our collaborator but also our teacher. His writings resonated with us long before we met him in person. Personally, I had congratulated him on his work because it expressed my thoughts in a simple yet academically precise way. Moreover, he has written extensively on this repertoire, explaining its adaptations and contemporary significance.”
Andrikos further noted, “URBAN 𐌌ØĐÂĿ represents a promising initiative in interpreting Eastern modal music today. Loukas Metaxas’ 35 years of experience in music performance and recording combine with the freshness, deep love, dedication, and eagerness to expand musical horizons exhibited by the other two members. Dimosthenis Karachristodoulou and Giorgos Vallianatos offer a refreshing yet profound approach to this music, free from ideological stereotypes. Their work reflects thoughtful exploration and stands in stark contrast to the shallow, homogenized trends dominating the musical landscape today.”
Regular collaborators with URBAN 𐌌ØĐÂĿ include Antonis Ginosatis (saz) and Anna Kouklaki (kanun), who alternate depending on project needs, as well as vocalists Zekiye Yurekli (an Alevi singer from Turkey), Panagiotis Panagakis, and Giorgos Kamatsos (also alumni of the Department of Music Studies). For their first album, URBAN 𐌌ØĐÂĿ plan to focus on “exiled” songs that are no longer performed in their homeland. Examples include pieces sung in Slavic or Turkish that are rarely heard in Greece today, songs with Greek versions of their lyrics, or popular repertoire in Turkey that includes Greek tunes rarely performed there now. They also plan to feature songs from Meli, discovered through archival research, such as an unpublished piece provided by composer Nektarios Vagianos from his father’s archive, and original compositions that they will unveil soon.
