1953 Cyprus recordings return to life in new documentary

Music ArtcultureTop News 1953 Cyprus recordings return to life in new documentary Echoes 1 1536x809 Relevant News Impoverished by war in Iran, Afghan migrants return to Taliban rule 17 September 2026 1953 Cyprus recordings return to life in new documentary 17 September 2026 Drousiotis faces 73 charges as ‘Sandy’ case reaches Criminal Court 17 September 2026 newsroom 17 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Danae Stylianou’s documentary “Echoes of Cyprus” premieres on Monday, September 28, at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre, presented by the Press and Information Office as part of the 2026 Nicosia International Festival. The film is built on research by ethnomusicologist Nicoletta Demetriou into a sound archive recorded in Cyprus 73 years ago. In the summer of 1953, Greek-American philologist James A. Notopoulos and Dimitrios Petropoulos, a researcher at the Academy of Athens’ Folklore Research Centre, travelled the island with a reel-to-reel tape recorder, capturing more than eight hours of traditional songs, oral poetry, tsiattista verse duels and instrumental music — a record of Cypriot society as it sounded at the time. Demetriou has since retraced their route, working to bring that material back into focus. The film pairs the original recordings with pages from the two researchers’ diaries and a wider audiovisual archive, tracing a path through Cypriot music, memory and history. Rather than treat the archive as a closed chapter, the film frames it as a living “echo” still speaking to the present: the voices and sounds captured in 1953 return to contemporary Cyprus, linking different eras and the communities that keep the island’s musical and oral traditions alive today. Actors, musicians and contemporary voices carry the narration, setting up a dialogue between the archival material and the present. The old recordings become more than documents of another era — they open up a new reading of Cypriot music, oral tradition and collective memory. The screening will have English subtitles and will be followed by a reception. Credits Director: Danae StylianouStarring: Nicoletta Demetriou, Diomedes Koufteros, Konstantinos Alkiviadis, Giorgos EvagorouAlso featuring: Andreas Christakkos, Giorgos Galinis, Michalis Erotokritou, Stelios Papamichael, Simeon Merkouris, Petros Raftis, Kosmas Economou, Christoforos KoutsakosProducers: Danae Stylianou, Marios StylianouScreenplay: Nicoletta Demetriou, Stavros Pampallis, Danae StylianouCinematography: Nikolas StylianouProduction design: Sose EskidjianCostume design: Lakis GenethlisEditing: Danae StylianouSound design and mixing: Christos KyriakoullisSound recording: Marios Minas Where and when Nicosia Municipal Theatre, Monday, September 28, 7pm. Free entry, reservation required via more.com or at the theatre box office. Read more: Cypriot researcher Nicoletta Demetriou wins Europa Nostra Grand Prix Award Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Impoverished by war in Iran, Afghan migrants return to Taliban rule Drousiotis faces 73 charges as ‘Sandy’ case reaches Criminal Court UN mission finds grounds to believe US committed war crimes in Iran, and Tehran crimes against humanity Cyprus deputy shipping minister pushes stronger UK maritime ties in London visit Trump derides EU pitch to Canada as ‘laughable’, threatens more tariffs On this day: Manuel Quezon y Molina was elected first president of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935 Police examine CCTV after motorcycle gunmen hit Limassol building (photos) Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.