Island of Thassos

The island of Thassos could easily be a subject for trivia enthusiasts, with questions such as, “Which is the most northern island of Greece?” or “Which is the only island that belongs to the region of Macedonia?”





Thassos is an island bearing a rich history since antiquity. It is said that traces of human civilization were present as early as 3,000 B.C. At one point, around 500 B.C, when the island and its colonies were major commercial centers, it may have had over 60,000 residents. The shape of the island is almost circular, with a perimeter covering about 65 miles. The interior of the island is very mountainous, while the coastal areas offer some breathtaking sights and beaches.

Currently the permanent population of Thassos is around 15,000. Most residents work in the tourist industry, which has been rapidly developing since 1960. Unfortunately, rapid tourist development has altered the traditional elements of the island with regards to its architecture, occupations and other customs. These changes are especially apparent along the coastal areas, which attract the majority of the tourists. Some mountainous villages, however, still maintain their original settings and are a pleasure to visit.

Presently, local dances and songs are no longer performed at feasts, panegyria, public or private social functions. In his book, Folk Songs of Thassos, Giorgios Avgoustidis states that the 1980s marked the end of hearing local songs at public occasions. The end of the island’s folk era was not anticipated even a couple of decades prior to that. The local songs are not even heard at weddings, glentia, clubs, coffee shops or homes in Thassos. An event that makes it more obvious that these songs are not part of every day life is when young men join the Greek army for their mandatory military duty. In the old days, all the young men, prior to their departure, would gather and sing their local songs, accompanied by the popular accordion player, Mitsaras. In present-day Thassos, one does not even realize when someone leaves the village to join the army. One reason that Mr. Avgoustidis provides for this change in custom is the rapid development of tourism that has encouraged locals to be more interested in western European trends rather than local ones.

Nevertheless, there are a few exceptions where one might experience a few folk traditions, such as the carnival events that a local cultural organization may sponsor. In addition, the custom “Gia vrex Aprili m’” still takes place the Tuesday after Easter in the area of Kalyvia, located adjacent to the town of Limenaria. There are many songs that have come to the island from neighboring areas, such as Macedonia, Thrace, Asia Minor and other islands of the northeastern Aegean Sea, which have been adopted and established as part of the local tradition. One example is “Vre Kehagia Perifane”, which is mostly identified with the island of Limnos, and is danced as a couples’ dance. In Thassos it is danced as a Kalamatianos. The main meter that is dominant in the songs from Thassos are, 2/4, 4/4, and 7/8, 8/8 and 9/8.

Due to its proximity to Macedonia, the Macedonian bagpipe (gaida) was said to be one of the main folk instruments of the island, but that is not the case anymore. Sometimes, two violin players may accompany the local songs, where their parallel execution closely imitates the sound of the Macedonian bagpipe. Now, there are very few local musicians left and even they have abandoned the authentic folk instruments. They now prefer to play more popular instruments like the bouzouki, guitar and sometimes the clarinet, as more moneymaking opportunities are presented to them, especially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak. Other instruments, in addition to the violin, used in the recordings of the local songs are the lute (laouto), accordion, santouri (dulcimer), toubeleki (percussion), guitar, clarinet, taboura and others.

In terms of the island’s dance repertoire, Ms. Roula Loukoumi, a native of Thassos, has produced and sang in two albums with folk material from Thassos. The style is unique. The main component of the dances is what is called “Varys Syrtos”. These dances vary from the traditional island Syrto dances, as they are danced using “Sta Tria” step structure or have their own steps. Although they may not possess some of the fast paced rhythms found in the dances of other northern Aegean islands, they present the dancer with the challenge of executing their characteristic deliberate style. Some of the most popular dances from the island of Thassos are: Ahi-Vahi, Ola ta Poulakia, Ola ta Melahrina, Hrysos Aetos, Mazou ta Peristeria sou, Prasino Dentri, Lagadi Xerolagado, and various songs are performed in the typical Kalamatiano steps.

It is becoming more challenging to find the appropriate sources from which to learn these dances as they are not performed in every day functions. With the passing of older generations, it it up to all of us to keep our Greek folk traditions alive and seek opportunities to document regional music and dances.