There is something rather unhelpful about genre terms like Traditional and Folk, words that seem to imply a certain sleepy old fashioned style, as if people from the olden days didn't know how to have a good time, or to dance like wild anarchists between the boundaries of social conventions. Scratch the surface of traditional folk music, however, and you will find bands like Omados, who from the opening notes of their new EP, seem to shout from the rooftops the truth that the wild old ways are still alive and dancing. Omados is much more that a folk band, comprised as they are of individual performers of such high calibre that their coming together seems a gift from the muses, their music elevates the listener, educates, illuminates...I go so far as to say that they, with their decades of study and passion, illustrate the timeless magic of ancient traditions, made new through the lively spirits of young love. Love of dance, love of singing, love of life.
Joseph Tsombanopoulos, George Athanasakos, Katerina Stevens and Paddy Montgomery are all worthy of long biographies of their own, and fans of the band will no doubt know of their individual efforts. In the band's own words, they play regional Greek music from Thrace, Macedonia, Epirus, the Peloponnese, Crete and Ikaria.
For those of you who are not versed in ancient Greek history; Thrace was once home to some of the most fearsome barbarian tribes who fought in the Peloponnesian War, with male and female warriors, covered in tattoos and wielding brutal curved swords. The historian Thucidides makes particular mention of them. Macedonia was the home of Alexander the Great, conqueror of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Macedonia is a mountainous and rocky region, and like Thrace, was known for its hardy warriors. The Peloponnese, famous in the ancient world for their warrior class who were considered the best trained and most fanatical warriors of all the ancient world – the Spartans.
I do not know for certain how similar the music of Omados is to the music of the ancient world, but, as we like to say in the study of history, everything is connected. As a student of oriental music myself, I recognise some of the rhythms, and I ask, how ancient is the Chiftatelli? Or the Ayub? How far back do these folk traditions reach, and how far forward, and how deep into our flesh are these rhythms, and the melodies they support? Omados are living representatives, diplomats from another era, time travellers from a never forgotten past that continues living through us, the listeners, the dancers, the writers and the musicians.
These Hellenic cultures who have such proud heritage, and such well documented histories, fascinate me for the passion they display in both military and civil cultural achievements. Folk music, and the continued upkeep of traditional forms, while being a development of ancient roots, still contains the seeds of their ancient passions. Omados are the modern battle cry of an ancient and ongoing cultural experience that represents and contains all of the same complications – love, regret, excitement and loss – that we continue to experience in the modern world.
So while terms like traditional folk music might be misleading, or even unhelpful, if you dig a little deeper, you will find that everything old is new again, in the hands and hearts of those who keep the spirit alive. If you want to dance – listen to Omados. If you want to swoon, or to sway with your sweetheart – listen to Omados. See their live shows (in person or online). Discover the individual musicians and their other music. Omados might be traditional, but tradition does not remain static, painted upon crumbling stone walls, or kept in museums. Tradition is something that we dance with, sing with, and run shouting through the streets, electrified and excited by. Tradition paints a picture of the past, with colours mixed in the present, but always pointing the way forward to the future.
Their album can be downloaded from Bandcamp:
https://omados.bandcamp.com/album/omados-2
