Root Route | Monsieur Doumani | TEDxUniversityofNicosia

At TEDxUniversityofNicosia Monsieur Doumani perform some of their best tunes of Cypriot folk showing why they were voted Best newcomer in Songline Music Awards.
Melodic, meaningful and modern take on Cypriot folk roots
These three men claim that they "specialise in smoking, drinking Grappa and playing music from the island of Cyprus". Thankfully it appears to be the latter pursuit that they concentrate on most as they draw deep from the musical well of their homeland. They do this through acoustic guitar (often slide), the bouzouki-like tzouras, and woodwind, especially flute and trombone. But the respect they show Cypriot folk music doesn't prevent them from cutting loose; they shift from heavy to playful in the blink of an eye. It's an approach that's seen them nominated in the Best Newcomer category at this year's Songlines Music Awards. And then there's their own songwriting, often satirical, often outspoken on the plight of young Cypriots in an economically volatile world. "The wheels will finally turn/And the poor people will smile again/We cannot suffer this any more/We won't be obeying you any more…"
Nige Tassell - WOMAD 2014
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx