‘Music is a global language that unites people,’ says Greek artist Monika. ‘Songs allow our minds to travel and put us, briefly, in the world of our fellow humans. It is such a beautiful and creative way to build bridges between us and promote unity in Europe.’
An ambitious undertaking, the first “encyclopedia” of European songs, has come to fruition, giving us a fascinating record of what generations of people on this continent have been singing.
Released earlier this month, the European Union Songbook was created with input from more than 100 music organizations and schools and over 87,000 citizens from across the bloc, who voted on their favorite pieces in six categories: Freedom & Peace, Love Songs, Nature & Seasons, Folk Songs & Traditionals, Faith & Spirituality, and Children’s Songs. The result is a list of six from each of the EU’s 27 member-states, making for a total of 164 songs.
The six Greek airs that made it onto the list are three traditional songs, “S’agapo Gaiti ‘sai Oraia,” “Mes stou Aigaiou ta Nera” and “Pote tha Kanei Xasteria” in the Love, Nature & Seasons and Freedom & Peace categories, respectively, as well as Markos Vamvakaris’ “Frangosyriani” in the Folk Songs category, the Byzantine melody “Ai Geneai Pasai” in the Faith category, and “Otan tha Pao Kyra Mou sto Pazari” by Iosif Korinthios in the Children’s Song section.
These six songs were picked by 1,054 citizens from a list compiled by the Hellenic Choirs Association and the Ionian University’s Department of Music Studies in a public vote that was conducted in 2018 by Kathimerini and state broadcaster ERT.
All the entries in the Songbook are presented in their original language and in English. Greece’s entries were translated by singer and composer Monika Christodoulou – also known by her stage name Monika – and her husband, Stavros Xenidis – and it was no walk in the park.
According to the instructions received by the pair from Danish journalist and writer Jeppe Marsling, the 50-year-old founder of the European NGO that is the brains and soul of the EU Songbook, was for the songs to be translated into “European English,” in a way that conveyed their deeper meaning and cultural context.
“But as soon as I opened the files with the lyrics and listened to these wonderful songs again with much greater attention, I realized that this was a very demanding task and that I would have to put all my love for my country and my culture into it,” Monika tells Kathimerini. “It was hard, but with my husband’s help, I think we accomplished something really beautiful.”
Was there anything that was “untranslatable,” that is still entirely Greek about these songs?
“Yes,” says Monika. “I believe there’s always a part of our cultural identity that cannot be conveyed entirely in a different language. Greek songs have a unique poetry and emotional quality that is intrinsically linked to our language and our people’s experiences. Music is more than words and notes. It is an ocean of emotions, a singing photograph. I don’t think anyone can ‘translate’ the Greek light. Its true power lies in the melodic quality of its authentic language.”
The purpose of the project is to showcase the things that unite Europeans via an “exchange” of emotions. “Sharing songs we love allows us to understand other people’s culture, history and sensibilities,” says Monika. “Music is a global language that unites people. Songs allow our minds to travel and put us, briefly, in the world of our fellow humans. It is such a beautiful and creative way to build bridges between us and promote unity in Europe.”
According to Marsling, the EU Songbook “is not meant for perfection, but for heart-to-heart dialogue.”
It is “intended for all kinds of meetings between all kinds of people, whether in good times or times of crisis: for education, concerts, diplomatic engagements, or even for first-time conversations on a train or in a cafe,” he said in a statement following its publication.
Each of the 164 songs is presented for a solo voice, with chords, and with lyrics in both the 25 original languages (spanning three alphabets), side-by-side with “European English.” There are also introductions by 61 publishers offering a unique view of European musical history, spanning six centuries and dozens of genres, from a Byzantine hymn to modern classic rock.
The EU Songbook is available across the European Union and also via a free app, available on App Store and Google Play.
