Stin Akri Tou Dounia

Akri tou doumia, or On The Edge of the World, is a 2003 release by the Cretan lyra and saz player Stelios Petrakis, aided and betted by various familiar friends, including the Cretan based Irish multi-instrumentalist Ross Daly and Bijan Chemirani, from a family of superb Iranian percussionists.The music sets an intricate landscape of lute and hand-percussion over which the haunting lyra roams. Sometimes this builds into a frenzied dance, such as on Sitia. Several tracks have singing by Giorgis Xylouris or Vasilis Stavrakakis, which for me do not add to the music particularly, but then I don't speak Greek.Mention should be made of Haris Lambrakis' ney, which adds breathy colour to the other instruments: one can imagine oneself on a Cretan mountainside on a sultry summer evening, surrounded by sweet herbs, listening to the shepherd with his flock. On Karagumruk, the music builds beautifully to unleash the swirling dervishes of Istanbul in a traditional arrangement.The sights, sounds and smells of the Eastern Mediterranean are all here.

This collection of numbers is a very valuable insight into the labyrinthine sensuousness of the Hellenic world.

I heard this album via the internet on BBC3 Late Junction (a favorite of 2003 for one of the DJ's) and was utterly fascinated with the varied ethnic instruments, its deep and rich textures, and its gentle dances and improvisations. These melodies of Crete are a far cry from the cafes of Athens and share a bluesy feel of Rembetica. I purchased this CD from Europe because it cannot be found in the US, even here in enlightened and cosmopolitan Berkeley, Califorian. It was worth the added cost. You will not be disappointed. I hope Petrakis's new CD,Kismet,will soon be available.