Nisiotika: Music, Dances, and Bitter-Sweet Songs of the Aegean Islands by Gail Holst-Warhaft (review).

Indeed, to read Holst-Warhaft's presentation of their poetry, to listen to their poignant sounds, and to dance to their rhythms, is to recognize that the I nisiotika i remain as vital to the Aegean islands as sweet water. Throughout the book, Holst-Warhaft displays a concern with traditional island music not only for its unique sounds but also for the powerful emotions conjured by songs and dances that remain connected to place, history, and family. Holst-Warhaft suggests that, while these songs remain treasured masterpieces of the I nisiotika i tradition, they have long been regarded as less serious than songs from northern mainland Greece, perhaps either because the poetry is rendered in a female voice and the songs have been performed by women, or else because, in spite of their sadness, Greek islanders dance to these plaintive songs. [Extracted from the article]