Boston Lykeion Ellinidon

The santouri (gr: σαντούρι) is a Greek dulcimer.  It is a hammered string instrument (in much the same way as a piano works internally).  It is used mainly on the islands.

 

The Lyra (gr: λύρα) is a bowed stringed instrument that is played upright as shown in the photo.  There are many different forms of lyra with distinct ones from the island of Crete and the Pontos region.  Many of the other islands of the Aegean Sea also have some form of a lyra.

The word dodecanese comes from the Greek words dodeka and nisos - literally twelve islands. The island chain is in the Aegean Sea and incidentally has more than twelve islands.

This song is a slow syrto dance from Thasos.

Lyrics

Άχι βάχι - καημό πώχ' η αγάπη,
άχι βάχι μέρα νύχτα, μ'έφαγε ο καημός κ' η πίκρα.

Chios is an island off the coast of Turkey. It is close to the city of Smyrna.