Xenitia: University of Michigan; Modern Greek; 30 October, 2015; Songs of Xenitia; Ξενιτιά

A talk about Xenitia -"Xenitia or the State of Being a Foreigner: Juxtaposing Realities, Interpreting Encounters" - Pavlos Kavouras, Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Chair of the Department of Ethnomusicology and Cultural Anthropology, School of Music, University of Athens.

"The idea of xenitia, the state of being a foreigner, in addition to its historical importance for Greek culture, bears an ecumenical significance. Actually lived experiences of otherness, be they of practical, reflexive or spiritual nature, are differentiated instances of a response of humanity against itself in the context of its constant and dynamic encounter with nature, society and self-awareness. The condition of foreign-ness may be seen as a symbolic bridge bringing together different cultural aspects of the contemporary globalized world. This talk will be of interest to people in fields such as anthropology, classics, archaeology, sociology of religion, cultural and literary studies, and ethnomusicology".

A Last Song to Xenitia - "We have songs for celebrations and songs for funerals; we have songs for dancing and we have songs that weep for the living. Why do we weep for the living? Because xenitia is painful." - Vasiliki Scotes - a short documentary film,

Memories of Xenitia

Some YouTube examples of songs of xenitia

Manolis Mitsias song - Μανωλις Μητσιας, Αχ Μαρια

Katy Grey - Ανεργεία στην ξενιτιά - Καίτη Γκρέϋ

Marika Ninou - Ξενιτιά, Μαρίκα Νίνου

Kostas Roukounas - O Xenos Mes Stin Xenitia

Mavri Pou Einai I Xenitia - Takis Mpinis · Soula Kalfopoulou · Giannis Tatassopoulos

Tsitsanis - To 1938 o Βασίλης Τσιτσάνης συνθέτει το τραγούδι "Η ξενιτιά", το οποίο ερμηνεύει ο Απόστολος Χατζηχρήστος μαζί με τον Στράτο Παγιουμτζή και τον συνθέτη.

Ξενιτεμένος κι έρημος στην ξενιτιά γυρίζω,
τις πίκρες και τα βάσανα μπροστά μου αντικρίζω.

Πόσες φορές, βρε μάνα μου, θυμήθηκα εσένα,
απ' τα πολλά τα βάσανα που τράβηξα στα ξένα.

Για να ξεχάσω, μάνα μου, πίνω το κατοστάρι,
το δευτερώνω ύστερα και το τριτώνω πάλι.

Είναι καημός, μανούλα μου, είναι μεγάλος πόνος,
εδώ μέσα στην ξενιτιά να την περνάω μόνος.