Γεωργία Συλλαίου/Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου "Ύμνος Ετη Μούσαν"

Γεωργία Συλλαίου/Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου
Ανοιχτές Διαδρομές
Εννέα Τραγούδια με Ιστορία
CD
(Ano Kato/ῥεῖ Records, 1997)

Pianist Σάκης Παπαδημητρίου (Sakis Papadimitriou) has been featured on the Jukebox before, but only as a solo artiste. In addition to his solo work and various sessions with other players, he and his wife Γεωργία Συλλαίου (Georgia Sylleou) have recorded three albums together as a duo, with her singing and him tinkling the ivories and tickling the steel.

Today's selection comes from their second album, Ανοιχτές Διαδρομές/Εννέα Τραγούδια με Ιστορία (Open Routes/Nine Storied Songs). The lyrics for "Ύμνος Ετη Μούσαν" (Hymn to the Muse) were written ca. 200 AD by Διονυσίου Αλικαρνασσέως (Dionyssios Halicarnasseas). While the entire album is wonderful, "Ύμνος Ετη Μούσαν" is my favorite track. Παπαδημητρίου's unconventional playing on this piece sets a dark, smokey, slightly menacing mood for Συλλαίου's languorous vocals.

---

Hymn to the Muse

Chant, my dear Muse
and introduce my song
let the breeze
from your groves
vibrate my mind

Come forward and be good to me

黒百合姉妹「左の耳のための喜びの歌」

黒百合姉妹
『月の蝕』
CD
(SSE Communications, 1993)

TRANSLATIONS:

• 黒百合姉妹 = Kuruyuri Shimai = Black Lily Sisters
  
• 月の蝕 = Tsuki no Shoku = Eclipse of the Moon
  
• 左の耳のための喜びの歌 = Hidari no mimi no tame no yorokobi no uta = Songs of Joy for the Left Ear

I first heard 黒百合姉妹 on the compilation CD Galaxy & Nū-Beauty, also released on SSE Communications. I'd purchased it because it has exclusive tracks from YBO² and UFO or Die, one of Boredoms leader Eye's many, many side projects. As it turned out, just about every song on it was great; it's also where I first heard 割礼, featured here last October.

I wasn't sure what to make of 黒百合姉妹, at first, but I liked their two songs on the compilation. I eventually found a copy of their 4th album, 『Lux Aeterna～久遠の光』, on eBay for a reasonable price, so I bought it. After, I think, one listen, I thirsted for more! They've released ten CDs, plus an eleventh under the name Juri et Lisa (their names). The five early '90s releases on SSE are all out of print, but they reissued them on their on label, Sibylla, in 2006, albeit it with slightly altered cover art and some differences in tracks. Today's song is from their third album, yet it does not appear on the reissue, for whatever reason, nor does the song prior to it.

In addition to the releases on SSE, they released four live CDs on Sibylla in 2002 and 2004, plus two more studio albums since. The two most recent are quite possibly the best they've done yet, and that's saying a lot.

NOTE: The four self-released live CDs are only available from them by mailorder and one store in Tokyo. They're worth it.