History

STATIONS OF THE POLYPHONIC CARAVAN

• 1997, “Chaonia” polyphonic group sings at Gitana ancient theatre. The dream for the initiation of the “big journey of the voices”.
• 1998, Polydroso of Thesprotia, “Meeting for the Epirotic Polyphony”. The inaugural event takes place, the first issue of “Apiros” journal is published.
• 1999, 1^st International Polyphonic Song Meeting. Three days at Delvinaki, Ktismata, Filiates, Plaisio, all Epirus villages. Participating polyphonic groups from Greece and Albania. A scientific seminar also takes place.
• 2000-present, Beginning of the Polyphony Workshop at “Fivos Anogianakis” Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments, with seminars on a weekly basis during all the year.
• 2000, 1^st Big Polyphonic Song Concert in Athens, at “Pallas” theatre, with the participation of 9 polyphonic groups from Greece and Albania.
• 2001, The first record edition of “Apiros”, with live recordings from the 1^st concert in “Pallas” theatre.
• 2001, 2^nd International Polyphonic Song Meeting. Six days, from Konitsa to Sagiada. A polyphonic group of Gkrekanoi – residents of Southern Italy participates too.
• 2001, 2^nd Big Polyphonic Song Concert in Athens, at “Pallas” theatre.
• 2001, A special feature dedicated to the Polyphonic Song published within the 3^rd issue of “Apiros” journal.
• 2001, 3^rd International Polyphonic Song Meeting. Nine days, with participating polyphonic groups from Greece, Albania, Italy and Serbia.
• 2001, The second record edition of “Apiros”, with live recordings from the 2^nd concert in “Pallas” theatre.
• 2002, 3^rd Big Polyphonic Song Concert in Athens, at Petra Theatre.
• 2002, 4^th International Polyphonic Song Meeting. Eleven days, events take place for the first time beyond the borders, in Albania and Southern Italy.
• 2003, 4^th Big Polyphonic Song Concert in Athens, at Petra theatre.
• 2003, 5^th International Polyphonic Song Meeting. Thirteen days, an event takes place for the first time in Macedonia too. Four events take place abroad.
• 2003, Event dedicated to the Greek-speaking Southern Italy in Athens, at “Katrakeio” theatre.
• 2003, Initiation of the function of the Polyphonic Song Archive.
• 2004, The third record edition of “Apiros”, with live recordings from 2002-2004 concerts in Petra theatre.
• 2004, 5^th Big Polyphonic Song Concert in Athens, at Petra theatre.
• 2004, 6^th International Polyphonic Song Meeting. A polyphonic group from Bulgaria participates too. Initiation of the parallel function of polyphonic song seminars.
• 2005, 6^th Big Polyphonic Song Concert in Athens, at Petra theatre.
• 2005, 7^th International Polyphonic Song Meeting. Fifteen days. A polyphonic group from Georgia participates too. Expansion of the events reaching the region of Kastoria as well.
• 2006, 7^th Big Polyphonic Song Concert in Athens, at Petra theatre. With the participation of Domna Samiou, Petroloukas Chalkias and fourteen polyphonic groups from Greece, Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Italia, USA.
• 2006, 8^th International Polyphonic Song Meeting. For the first time events take place in Bulgaria, Volakas of Drama, Corfu. Epirotic Polyphony bridges with the other Greek genres of polyphony.
• 2006, The fourth record edition of “Apiros”, with live recordings from 2005-2006 concerts in Petra theatre.
• 2007, A two-days long event organized by “Apiros” takes place in Athens at Petra theatre, with the first day dedicated to Southern Italy and the second to the polyphonic songs – 8^th Big Polyphonic Song Concert.
• 2007, 9^th International Polyphonic Song Meeting. The duration extends to eighteen days.
• 2007-2008, “Apiros” implements a project for the enrichment of the Polyphonic Song Archive at the place of its main offices, Polydroso of Thesprotia.
• 2008, A series of presentations of the Polyphonic Song Archive take place.
• 2008, 9^th Big Polyphonic Song Concert in Athens, at Petra theatre. Celebration for the completion of “Apiros” ten years of function.
• 2008, 10^th International Polyphonic Song Meeting. Sixteen days, with participating polyphonic groups from five countries.
• 2009, Production of the documentary – portrait “Kira Frosso, a woman remembers and sings”
• 2009, 10^th Big Polyphonic Song Concert in Athens, at Petra theatre. Celebration for the completion of ten years of Big Concerts.
• 2009, 11^th International Polyphonic Song Meeting. Events dedicated to the ten years of the International Meetings.
• 2010–present, The Big Concerts continue as Big Polyphonic Song Festivals – Celebrations, always taking place with more and more participating groups, welcoming more and more young people at the polyphony community.
• 2010-present, The International Meetings continue as Polyphonic Caravans, traveling for ten days every summer, as well as every winter and spring with the four-days long Winter and Spring Polyphonic Caravans. The seasonal Caravans are mainly focused on the field-based recordings and research, enriching the Polyphonic Song Archive. Its co-travelers are the students of the Polyphony Workshops. Throughout all these years the Summer Big Polyphonic Caravans organize events in Thessaly too.
• 2010-present, Beginning of the Polyphony Workshop in Pyrgos, Elis, with five-days long seminars every December in the context of the Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People.
• 2010-present, Systematic field-based audiovisual recordings by “Apiros” for the living tradition all over Greece.
• 2011-present, Beginning of the Polyphony Workshop, with seminars on a weekly basis during all the year, at the Pan-Epirotic Confederation of Greece.
• 2012, Production of the documentary – portrait “Giorgos Ntotis”.
• 2013, Production of the documentary “Fifteen years Polyphonic Caravan”.
• 2015, Production of the documentary – portrait “Fanis Giotis”.
• 2015-present, The Polyphony Workshop continues its function on a weekly basis every year, from the Museum of Greek Folk Musical Instruments to the Centre of Greek Music “Fivos Anogianakis”.
• 2016, Inscription of the Epirus Polyphonic Song on Greece’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, following a dossier written by Alexandros Lampridis, “Kirantzis” (driver) of the Polyphonic Caravan.
• 2016, 1^st Celebration of the “Polyphonic Song Day”
• 2017, Production of the documentary “The tomorrows of polyphony” (ERT)
• 2017, 2^nd Celebration of the “Polyphonic Song Day”
• 2017-2018, Polyphony Workshop in Chalkida, seminars on a weekly basis.
• 2017-present, Beginning of the Polyphony Workshop in Berlin (Germany), with intensive three-days long seminars every six months.
• 2018-2019, Polyphony Workshop in Volos, with two-days long seminars on a monthly basis.
• 2018, Polyphony Workshop on Chios island, with three-days long seminars.
• 2018, 3^rd Celebration of the “Polyphonic Song Day”
• 2018, Proclamation of Alexandros Lampridis, “kirantzis” (driver/leader) of the Polyphonic Caravan as honorary citizen of Deropoli for his offer in the Polyphonic Song and as honorary citizen of Olympos, Karpathos, for his offer in the Living Tradition of Olympos and more widely.
• 2019, Production of the documentary “20 years Polyphonic Caravan”
• 2019, Submission of Greece’s proposal for the inscription of the Polyphonic Caravan on UNESCO’s International Register of Good Safeguarding Practices in Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is the first proposal ever submitted by Greece to this Register where only 22 practices from all over the world are inscribed.
• 2019, 4^th Celebration of the “Polyphonic Song Day”
• 2019, Polyphony Workshop in Tarbes (France) in the context of Tarbes International Polyphony Festival.
• 2019, 20^th Big Polyphonic Song Festival in Athens, at Petra theatre. For the first time ever the participant polyphonic groups are twenty. Celebration for the completion of 20 years of the Polyphonic Caravan.
• 2019, 21^st Big Polyphonic Caravan. Twelve days of journey at the most favorite places - returns in the 20 years of the Polyphonic Caravan.
• 2019-2020, A series of presentations for the “20 years Polyphonic Caravan”, in different cities in Greece and in Berlin, Germany.
• 2019-2020, The action “20 years Polyphonic Caravan” is incorporated in the action plan and is put under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
• 2020, Publication by “Apiros” dedicated to the 20 years of the Polyphonic Caravan