Cretan Music : Songs, Instruments, Dances
The signature sound of Cretan music is attributed to the instruments the lyre and the lira which make up much of the melody of Cretan music and are sometimes played alone or with percussion instruments. The lyre is a guitar-like instrument that is played in the lap and is a traditional middle-eastern and southern-european instrument. The lira is unique to this area of the world and emits an almost eerie sound.
Traditional Cretan dances are line dances that are performed in a broken circle with the dancers all holding hands except two dancers at either end of the line. These two dancers are the featured performers and they dance with flashy footwork and flair while the other dancers follow specific traditional steps.
Please visit Tullia Magrini's repuertoir of a Cretan musician to get a closer look at music in Crete.
