Tsampouna · Santouri · Lyra · Island songs
A tune at a wedding, a lullaby remembered, a song that brings you home. The music of Leros is woven into the island’s everyday life and its celebrations.
I have kept the instruments, photographs and song traditions from my original guide, together with my affection for the Artemis recordings. Start with the sounds, then discover the stories behind them.
Listen for the different voices
These three instruments were at the heart of my original guide. Violin, laouto and accordion also belong to the musical picture. The combination depends on the musicians and the occasion.
Also written as tsambouna, this is an Aegean bagpipe, traditionally made with a goatskin air bag. Its pipes and the player’s technique give it a sound that belongs naturally to island celebrations.
In my original notes I emphasised how much skill and practice it takes. It is a wonderful instrument to hear live.
The santouri is a stringed instrument played by striking the strings with small beaters. I have always liked its sweet, distinctive sound.
My original guide used both tsantouri and santouri. Listen for how it blends with the violin and the other instruments around it.
The lyra is a bowed string instrument with a familiar place in the musical life of the Aegean. On Leros, it has its own local character in the hands of the musicians who play it.
I once wrote that the body seemed wider than some other lyras. That was my own observation, rather than a rule for identifying every instrument.
Weddings · Laughter · Childhood · Home
Songs of praise and good wishes accompany the wedding celebrations. In my original notes I called them pastika, also written as pastica.
These are songs through which people tease one another. Humour and quick thinking are part of the enjoyment, especially when the company knows each other well.
The softer side of the island’s music. I had heard a handful of these lullabies when I first wrote this page, and I am sure there are many more memories worth collecting.
Written as Proutzos or Prutzos in my old notes, this is one of the songs I return to most often. Its image of setting sail and seeing the mountains of Leros captures that feeling of coming home.
I think I am about to start singing again…
My original recommendation was the collection of Lerian songs recorded by the cultural association Artemis. I have a copy myself and have listened to it many times.
The accompanying booklet introduces the songs in Greek and English. Ask Artemis about its recordings and what is currently available, rather than relying on my old shop listings in Platanos.
The sound is best shared
Begin with the Artemis recording notes and track list, then look for live music during your stay. The collection includes Prouzos, Lerikos, wedding songs, lullabies and other island favourites.
The older audio extracts on this site are no longer available. The linked collection remains a useful guide to the repertoire and its background.
Music and movement belong together here. Continue with the dances of Leros and the festival guide.
A personal favourite
After exploring the island’s stories, make time for one of my favourite parts of Leros: its food. My favourite taverna is Karaflas Dimitris & Son.
From Dimitris Ouzeri to Karaflas Taverna, and now Karaflas Dimitris & Son, it is the same family story continuing into another generation.
Read the family story or discover more flavours of Leros.
Have a memory, a photograph or something to add to this guide? You can reach out to me through the Leros Greece Facebook group and share it with our island community.