Zeibekiko tis Evdokias is one of the most famous instrumental themes in Greek music. In Greek it should be translated as “Zeibekiko of Evdokia”.
Zeibekiko tis Evdokias was composed by Manos Loizos in 1971 for the homonym movie, Evdokia by Alexis Damianos. It is, along with Zorba the Greek, one of the most recognizable Greek melodies.
Its melody is usually stimulating and emotive to the Greeks; it makes them want to dance zeibekiko. After all, Evdokia is one of the most famous zeibekiko songs in Greece, which reflects freedom of the spirit, as well as passion, expression of feelings and manhood. In the movie, this theme was danced by a young soldier in a tavern.
The movie Evdokia
The movie Evdokia is a passion drama whose main characters are a young sergeant and a prostitute, who meet at a small town in Greece.
Giorgos, the soldier, dances a zeibekiko dedicated to this woman, Evdokia. However, Evdokia’s fiance (and pimp) reacts and a fight starts.
Zeibekiko of Evdokia is a man’s dance that reflects his passion and desire, but also his “sevdah”. It comes as no surprise that this is the dance of a buster man – a magkas in Greek.
In the movie, the soldier is oppressed by the army since he is always obliged to obey to orders that diminish his personality. This zeibekiko dance is a way to express his feelings and free himself from all this oppression that makes his life miserable.
Evdokia and Giorgos dance together, in a way that “connects” them; it’s like an erotic act. But since the society is still too introverted and conservative, this free dance has to stop. And this is why the pimp – who symbolizes oppression and conservatism once more – interferes and the fight starts.
The movie is all about the conflict of social values and desires, the inner struggle of the main heroes; Alexis Damianos takes a simple love story and creates a comment on the Greek society of that time, a “Greek tragedy” with socio-political reflections. Evdokia was characterized as one of the best Greek movies of all times, and definitely for a reason.
Zeibekiko tis Evdokias, a dance for the Greek soul
The dance Zeibekiko tis Evdokias is so much intertwined with the Greek soul, is the focal point of the movie, because it symbolizes love, passion, freedom and reaction to the society that tries to strain love and desire.
Watch the video, and the movie if possible, it’s a perfect example of soul-danced zeibekiko, a perfect example of the true spirit of an authentic Greek man who stands no oppression.