Kriti (Crete)

This largest of all Greek islands has its own music and dance tradition, and a still vibrant one. The syrtos performed in Crete is not the same as the dance of the same name performed on other islands, and is often referred to as Haniotikos (meaning literally, 'from Hania', which is the large city on the northwest coast of Crete). This dance is performed all over the island, but with regional names. In the Rethymno area near the center of the island, for example, it may be referred to as Rethymniotikos, referring to a local song used for this dance). The Cretan dance known as Siganos (which means 'slowly' or 'gently', is mostly likely from the Iraklio area, where is danced to the singing of rhymed couplets known as 'mandinadhes' or 'kondylies' and is the first dance done after a wedding while people are still gathered in front of the church. It was traditionally danced with the crossed handhold (stavroto) though is often danced these days with hands on shoulders and often leads into the fast dance known as Pentozali. Sometimes the Siganos is referred to as the Slow Pentozali. The couplets sang here, as in other parts of Greece, are usually improvised, and represent an impressive oral tradition, where just about any subject (historical, satirical, eulogic, personal) may be expressed. Verses handed down from previous singers comprise much of what is sung today, however, the art of improvising couplets disappearing in many places (though by no means all). Mandinadhes are often accompanied on the mandolino, and are sometimes sung for hours by young men in mountain villages who go from one plateia or kafeneio (coffee house) to another with them.

The Cretan dance known as Pentozali comes from the word for 'five' (pende) and from 'zalo' or 'step'. It is a very energetic dance (to say the least), performed with hands on shoulders, with the lead male dancers executing high leaps with a lot of slapping of legs and feet. Women may lead this dance as well, though their variations are less exhibitionistic. The fastest Cretan dance (also considered the most difficult) is the Maleviziotikos, also known as the Kastrinos, Pidiktos, or Irakliotikos (or some combination of these names). As evidenced by the last of these names, it comes from the Iraklio area, with Malevyzi an area near this main city of Crete. Danced by men and women in a circular formation that moves to the right, it has small and swift steps, is performed on the balls of the feet (as with most Cretan dances), and requires much stamina to dance for any period of time. The Cretan Sousta is unlike dances of the same name from other Greek islands. In Crete, it is a couple dance and resembles the ballos in its movements, with flirtatious movements that suggest courtship. Steps are also small and on the balls of the feet; the rhythm is a variant of 2/4, as with all Cretan dances. As in the ballos, the man dances with arms outstretched and fingers snapping in time to the rhythm, and the women with their hands on their hips, or joined to those of their partner for certain variations. There are also local dances done in various regions of Crete, but the five mentioned here are done all over the island.

Though the Cretan lyra is widely known as the main melody instrument in Cretan traditional music, this has not always been the case. In both western and eastern Crete, the violin has been a major melody instrument, though more so before the middle of the 20th century. Folk musicians travelling to Hania or Kastelli (also called Kastelli Kissamos) in western Crete, can still hear a wildly eccentric Cretan violin style played today. The kafeneio (coffee house) run by a local organization known as a 'syllogos', dedicated to the preservation of the music tradition of Crete, is found on Grigoriou Street in Hania, the 'kafetzis' (manager of the kafeneio), a seasoned fiddler who sometimes gives lessons when not serving coffee, and other musicians wander in periodically and sometimes take instruments down from the wall there to play. The Cretan lyra is played all over Crete, however, and always with the Cretan laouto, which has a larger body and more bass sound that the laouto played on the other islands and in mainland Greece (and which also plays melody as well as chords). The mandolino has already been mentioned. The askomandoura (the island bagpipe of Crete, basically a tsambouna) is still played in parts of Crete as well.