Every once in a while someone comes along in the Greek music scene that blazes a trail and leaves us with an impression we carry throughout our lives. Greek music history is filled with those who we have immortalized.
One of those musicians who has yet to be recognized for his work is Yiorgos Sofianidis. He is a Pontian Lyra player and singer. A maverick by any sense of the word, he has devoted his life to perpetuating the historic music of the ancient land, Pontos.
His life long journey from a Pontian village known as Protohori (Macedonia, Greece), has taken him around the world upholding the traditional folk music of his ancestors. From the steppes of Kazakhstan and Russia, throughout Europe, North America and Turkey, he has traveled into Pontian communities sharing a culture through his playing, music and Lyrics.
In this first of three video features, Cosmos Philly introduces you to the life and work of Yiorgos Sofianidis, in the field of traditional Pontian music. His astonishing career is a legacy of devotion to a civilization that spans three millennia.
Through out his career, Sofianidis has never focused on a commercial career, but instead chose a path defined by tradition. Upholding the values and respect for this music, there has never been a professionally recorded body of work by this artist, till now.
Sofianidis is currently recording a four part Pontian folk music CD collection that will be released soon. This musical selection will feature traditional Pontian music, in every sense of the word, recorded and sung as it was in the historic homeland and villages of his ancestors.
In the coming year Cosmos Philly will announce the release of this first ever collection of Pontian music by this artist. With great pride, Cosmos Philly is proud to feature Yiorgos Sofianidis, an artist who has given his life to Pontian Greek culture and music.