Serenades in the Ionian are called “Kantades” and are an important piece of the Zakynthian culture passed on, with love, from generation to generation. Visiting Zante, don’t miss the chance to track down the places to hear some traditional “kantades” and fall in love with thοse atmospheric summer evenings accompanied by Zakynthian melodies…
In the “good old days” the evening would flow somehow differently…
Men would gather at “tavernes”, which at that time were places with long sitting banks and tables, offering bulk wine from the barrels set in a row in that very same room. There, they would sit, discuss, laugh and sing. On the walls of those “taverns” would always hang a guitar and a mandolin so regular guests could use them to sing their songs.
There were two types of songs: “arekies”(αρέκιες) and “kantades”(καντάδες). “Arekies” were songs improvised off-the-cuff by the quests and sang without ever being written. That’s why they were learnt by hearing. “Kantades”, on the other hand, had more lines, were emotional and written.
So after the first few glasses of wine, Zakythians would sing- first some festive “arekies” and later emotional “kantades”. Singing the “kantades” every one would think of his “Juliette”… At some point they would leave the “taverna” and go sing their feelings under the window of their beauty…
Sometimes, men went off alone to praise their loved one, but usually they went in groups. They went in groups for two reasons: for the song to be more beautiful and as protection against romantic rivals. So they would go sing to as many “Juliettes” as there were men in the group.
To every girl, they would sing three songs- not more, not less. The first one would be fast and turbulent so as to let her know that her “Romeo” had arrived or –if she was sleeping- to wake her up. The second one was emotional and would allude to the virtues and beauty of the girl and talk about his eternal love and loyalty towards her. And the third one would contain a “goodbye” pattern.
After this, they had to leave, but before leaving the girl would give them a sign that she had heard them, and thank them. If she didn’t want to be noticed by neighbours, she would open a little bit her window and close it again, or light a match. If she was more daring, she would show up at the window and through a flower to her “Romeo”.
That’s how it was back then…and listening to the lyrics of these serenades and to their joyful melody, one can perfectly imagine how wonderfully romantic this scenes must have been…
