Varka

It needs to be said at the outset that Dafné Kritharas has a fantastic voice, it has a clear, pure quality and superb intonation that makes it stand out. The other element that makes this recording worthwhile is the variety of sources the songs are taken from.

There is, almost inevitably, the influence of rebetika here (for example, the first track ‘Preza otan pieis’ originally sung by the incomparable Roza Eskenazi), but one interesting aspect is the number of songs that come from the Greek islands (nisiotika), giving them a contemporary outing that is comparatively rare. Notable among these ‘Amygdalaki’ from Skyros and the eponymous ‘Kastellorizo’. However, there are also references to Sephardic, Ladino and café aman traditions as well. I was particularly taken by ‘La Komida la Manyana’ from the Black Sea region. Listen to this disc especially for the singing, and the musicians Kritharas works with are also impressive. But perhaps at times the tracks can feel a bit over-arranged, especially when electronics are used, smoothing out the textures and reducing the impact of what is a great selection of songs and equally good vocals.