Series about the Greek music tradition.
The aim is to record and promote to the audience the richness, variety, and expressiveness of our musical heritage, through the local musical idioms as well as its modern potential in the urban environment of the big city.

“Salt of the Earth” and Lampros Liavas invite us to meet one of the most important representatives of the Pontian music tradition, master of the Pontian lyra-kemence, singer and teacher, Ilias Yfantidis.

He talks about memories and experiences of his grandmother, and the important role of language and music as key identity elements for the Pontian Hellenism, through the challenges of the Genocide and life as refugees. Also, with the old Acritic songs and the Byzantine folk songs as his focal point, he talks about the importance of Pontian theatre, in which he has been particularly involved.

Ilias Yfantidis was a student of leading Pontian lyra player, Giorgos Amarantidis and a close associate of Domna Samiou. He talks about the special relationship he had with them and selects songs characteristic of their many years of collaboration.

At the same time, he is a teacher himself, with multifaceted educational activity and director of the School of Tradition and Folklore of the municipality of Agia Varvara. He works with a team of his students and talks about the effort of passing on the tradition to the younger generations. Finally, he talks about the modern forms of expression in Pontian music. He also performs several of his own compositions, satisfying the demand for the evolution of the tradition - however always maintaining the knowledge and respect of its primary sources, style and ethos.

The following musicians participate: Giorgos Koulaxouzidis, Christos Navrozidis, Giannis Tailachinidis, Kostas and Stathis Orfanidis (kemence), Pantelis Nikolaidis (flute - Pontian bagpipe) and Panagiotis Kopalidis (davul). Narration: Anna Kalaitzoglou. Music curation: Ilias Yfantidis. Dancing: Grigoris Grigoriadis, Kyriakos Iosifidis, Alexandros Korosidis, Omiros Pachatouridis, Soultana Varytimiadi, Maria Vasileiadou, Maria Kapri, Charis Panitsidis and Giorgos Sonidis.