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The system / Το σ​ύ​σ​τ​η​μ​α

from Grippy Grappa (2013) by Monsieur Doumani

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about

This is a rearrangement of a traditional Cypriot song, a song that easily reflects the present situation in Cyprus (financial crisis). There are two variations in terms of its lyrics. The first is a love song (for the Greek-Cypriot community: ‘Na sou goraso mihanin', for the Turkish-Cypriot community: 'Dolama Dolamayı’). The second variation Gavur İmam 'apparently talks of the 1833 uprisings against the Ottoman administration, by both Greek-speaking and Turkish-speaking Cypriots.' (cypromusicology.blogspot.com). It is the second version that has inspired this adaptation.
Soundscape layer: field recording of an anti-fascist demonstration in Faneromeni square-Nicosia, in 2012

lyrics

(English translation follows)
Εννα γυρίσουν οι τροσιοί τζι'έννα γελάσουν τζι'οι φτωσιοί
εφτάσαμεν εις το αμήν, εν σας ακούμε πιόν κανεί
Αμάν κάτω τούντο σύστημα, του πασσιά το σύστημα
κλέφκει ούλλον το ψουμίν, το σιτάριν, το μαντρίν
Έππεσεν ξηρασιά φέτι εν έβρεξεν πιον τίποτις
ο σπόρος εν έπιασεν, ο σπόρος εν εβλάστησεν
Μα ο πασσιάς θέλει ππαράν, εν βλέπει το χωρκόν πεινά
Τζι'οι χωρκανοί πιάνουν κουσπίν, φκιάρκα, σωλήνες τζιαι σφυρίν
Τζιαι στου πασσιά παν την_ αυλή τζιαι κόφκουν του την τζιεφαλήν
---------------------
The wheels will finally turn and the poor people will smile again
We cannot suffer this anymore, we won’t be obeying you anymore
Oh..down with this system, the Pashia’s system
He steals all our bread, our wheat and our flock
We’ve had a drought this year, it hasn’t rained at all
And the crops haven’t grown
The Pashia can’t see that the village is hungry, he’s still greedily demanding heavy taxes
And so the villagers take their shovels, pipes and hoes
They run to the Pasha’s yard and cut his head off

credits

from Grippy Grappa (2013), released July 1, 2013
music traditional
lyrics: Antonis Antoniou based on Gavur Imam

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Monsieur Doumani Nicosia, Cyprus

Cyprus Avant Folk

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