Nana Mouskouri sings Sto parathyri provale, a Greek folk song from the islands which translates to “Show up to the Window” in English.
Sto parathyri provale is one of the most known traditional songs in Greece, belonging to the “nisiotika” genre.
Sto parathiri provale is a typical nisiotika songs that have charmed and captivated the Greeks, due to its warm hearted sound and tenderness of the lyrics.
As a traditional song from the Greek islands, Sto parathiri provale features lyrics written in a free poetic way, following the linguistic tradition of the Greek islands. It makes use of different wording and other versions of expressions used in urban areas.
After all, nisiotika songs are supposed to reflect the spirit of the people of Greek islands, who are distinctive and special in Greek culture. It is also characterized by the melodious repetition of certain words and syllabes ( in this case it’s the word “provale”, which means come and show up).
Nana Mouskouri recently released an album with songs from the Greek islands , trying to remind the Greeks of their roots and offer them a reason to smile.
Nisiotika songs are among the most popular genres in Greece, especially since the 80s when Giannis Parios dedicated two of his personal albums in the music from the islands, gothering and singing the most known ones.