Joann has come to a table of friends and neighbors who sing for hours celebrating her family in rhyme. The women of her family have joined the male singers to mourn the passing of her girlhood while remembering at the same time the grandfather for whom she is named.
Katrina Thomas's notes: Greek-Americans from a mountainous island in the Dodecanese began to emigrate to the U.S. in 1965, retaining ties to their villages to which they regularly return. In both the land of their ancestors and in America, they keep time-honored customs of music and dance. On the wedding morning, in the homes of both bride and groom, for many hours male friends and relatives sing original lyrics, honoring each family. The verses are accompanied by traditional instruments, the lyra, its five wire strings plucked, and a lauoto, its three strings, played with a bow. Later, at the wedding reception, after the hired band leaves, a trio of friends plays these instruments, often adding a bagpipe, known as a tsambouna, to perform dance music until early morning.
