Our first feature includes three Greeks, one German, and one Pole – which almost sounds like a beginning of a joke that might include a priest, a rabbi, and a minister. No, it is no joke as this quintet (sans the clerics) is Tri State Corner with their unique use of the Greek bouzouki.
I was looking for bouzouki music as I play the Irish bouzouki and found Tri State Corner by accident – the header on the video “Greek Bouzouki Metal” caught my eye – and eventually my ear. While I do not know this for a certainty, I think the name Tri State Corner is indicative of the three different European states from which the members originate: Greece, Germany, and Poland.
While I studied three years of Koiné Greek in the 1970s, we learned to read and translate and not to speak the language conversationally, although we had to read it aloud to center on pronunciation. This did not help me much in understanding the partial Greek lyrics that make of the chorus of the song. I did pick up two familiar words κόσμο μου (kosmo mou) - my world. The rest was not recognizable to me as 1. my Greek is extremely rusty and 2. Greek has changed considerably in 2000 years.
Enough of me, back to the song. The title – Ela Na This (Ελα να θις) which literally is Come here – this or by interpretation “Come here and see this.” The rest of lyrics, I am told, are “what has happened to my world.” It is interesting how lead singer Lucky weaves English verses to a Greek chorus and make it sound so fitting. Janni plays the fantastic bouzouki parts on this recording. Having been together since 2004, they have already built a following in Europe. Let’s hope they become cross continental.
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