Eleanna Pitsikaki - Ároma (CD)
With "Aroma ," the promising title of her debut album, qanun-playing ethno-jazz musician Eleanna Pitsikaki transports listeners to the vast beaches of the eastern Mediterranean. At the heart of the qanun, the centuries-old stringed instrument, she awakens the experiences and longings of many vacationers with enchanting sounds and contemporary rhythms.
And more: In a mixture of ethno-jazz and transcultural music, she invites listeners – as in an open circle of friends – to be “beamed” there almost like in a science fiction film.
In Crete, they can experience a variety of moods – including in the track "Faraggi," which is also being released as a single. Faraggi is dedicated to the natural beauty of the Cretan gorges, Eleanna's homeland. Inspired by walks in 2020, Eleanna Pitsikaki lets echoes resonate and brings the tranquil yet majestic landscapes to life.
"Ballade ," the second single and final track on the CD, is an intimate duo of piano and qanun, creating space for moving, contemplative, and romantic moments. Finally, the super-single "Apochairetismos" presents a traditional Cretan farewell song—composed and sung by Cretan music legend Kostas Mountakis , reinterpreted in a special arrangement by Eleanna Pitsikaki. It reflects a personal journey of saying goodbye and letting go.
Eleanna Pitsikaki conceived her compositions and arrangements from the Qanun – for her hand-picked band: Marvin Kollmann (electric bass), Samuel Wahlandt (drums), Lukas Ebner (keys) and Vladimir Dindiryakov (kaval).
Eleanna Pitsikaki discovered her passion for the qanun early on – an instrument she has lived and breathed ever since, researching and composing with. She has established herself as an exceptional musician, having progressed through universities at a breathtaking pace, even teaching and earning her doctorate at the Mainz University of Music.
Her work goes far beyond making music: she is involved in transcultural networks and researches the deep social and cultural meanings of music – especially jazz, which she takes to new worlds with her qanun.
Growing up in Crete, where sun and sea give birth to legends, Eleanna found her true love in an instrument that belongs neither to the White Mountains nor to traditional Cretan festivals. Early on, she combined the sounds of Byzantine music with the paths of Ottoman makam before turning to the world of jazz improvisation.
Her genre, which she herself describes as "transcultural ethno-jazz" , is a creative interplay of tradition and modernity.
In her debut album "Aroma ," released by TIMEZONE RECORDS , Eleanna Pitsikaki blends these diverse influences into a warm, emotional experience. This album is a tribute to the fusion of jazz, Mediterranean sounds, and experimental freedom—a journey through memories, identity, and emotion that reflects the artist's essence: authentic, profound, and passionate.
01 Bue.note
02 Apocheretismos
03 Gloomy Soul
04 Tabasco
05 Zinino
06 Faraggi
07 Summer
08 Ballad