Greek Mandolin Music?

[Thessalus]

I was wondering if anyone knows of any sources for Greek music (classical or otherwise) for mandolin.
What I need is internet sources (if any) or publishers of sheet music.
I know that the mandolin used to be very popular in Greece up until the 1930s or probably a bit later, especially in the Ionian islands.
Unfortunately its popularity has dicreased due to the omnipresence of bouzouki in Greek music.
Using the search function in the fora I found references to a certain Greek Mando-Project. Are there any updates on the status of the project?
Thanks!

[Jim Garber]

Our own Victor did some very nice arrangements. Check out the Ionian Mandolinata in this thread (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=6;t=22421).

He will probably add his 2cents here, I imagine. His handle is vkioulaphides, if you want to IM him.

Jim

[John Bertotti]

Victor has three mandolinats all three are good.He told me of a site that had Greek music to download but I can't seem to find the link. I sure he will post. John

[vkioulaphides]

[QUOTE]"I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world."

I couldn't agree with you more! I will second this great dictum with another one, attributed to Plutarch:

"We call Greeks those who partake of our culture."

You are absolutely (but sadly so) right: The mandolin culture of Greece just about vanished around 1920-1930; hence the entire purpose of my several publications so far.

The bouzouki was not the cause but only a symptom of the mandolin's fall from grace. The horrors of World War I, the abject misery of post-1922 Greece (with over a million refugees from Asia Minor squatting, starving, wasting away in wretched shanty-towns in Pireus and Thessaloniki), and the final blow of the even greater horrors of World War II rendered the gentle, dandified, elegant mandolin culture "culturally irrelevant".

The purpose and intention of my publications was inherently revivalist. I will say no more here, as I have already tired my friends with this —my favorite!— topic, and also as I always feel awkward discussing items that are for sale on the forum proper, i.e. not as listings in the Classifieds. I would, however, welcome any comments, questions, inquiries, etc. that you might wish to send me via direct message.

Cheers!

Victor

P.S. Does your ancestry lead back to the lovely valleys of Thessaly, perhaps? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Thessalus]

Thank you all for your prompt replies and especially thank you Victor.

Jim, the link to the live performance of the mandolinata was right to the target.
I still remember one of my childhood friends back in Greece playing those beautiful melodies.

Victor, I will IM you soon, so you can give me more details on your publications. If I judge from the mantolinata your work sounds wonderful!
I just need to find the way to IM, I guess, I am new to the site but not to the internet so that won't be a problem.
Thanks again!

PS. One part of my family is indeed from Thessaly, but I chose my nickname for a different reason.:)