Dimitrios Semsis
Encyclopedia
Dimitrios Semsis or "Dimitrios Salonikios" (1883–1950) was a Greek violinist born Dimitrios Koukoudeas in Ottoman Strumica
.
At the end of 19th century, he joined the band of a circus, which was traveling all over the Balkans
. In 1908 married his first wife Sonhoula Bochor Hanne and become his daughter Enriquette, cousin of Eskenazi Rosa, in the year about 1910. Later, he joined other traveling bands and played in several places such as Turkey
, Syria
, Egypt
, Sudan
and elsewhere. After the end of the World War I
, as Strumica
remained in the kingdom of Serbia
, Dimitrios Semsis' family moved to Thessaloniki
(1919). In 1923 he married Dimitra Kanoula and had four children. At the beginning of 1927 he moved to Athens
. By that time he took the nickname "Salonikios", probably because some agents from recording companies thought that his origin was from Thessaloniki. He is the first instrument player that his name is written on the disc labels. At the end of 1920s, Dimitrios Semsis was Recording Director of HMV and Columbia. He participated in hundreds of recordings of folk, rebetic and smyrnaic songs between 1924 and 1931. He presented his first songs in 1928 and became the Director of Arts of His Master's Voice, in 1931 until his death. He composed over 100 songs.
In the 1930s, Dimitrios was recording with Roza Eskenazi
, with great successes. He often was accompanying her to the taverns with Tompoulis, Lampros Savvaidis and Lampros Leonaridis. His compositions were being recorded by the greatest artists of that time, such as Rita Ampatzi
, Stelios Perpiniadis
and Stratos Pagioumtzis. He composed rebetic, folk, smyrnaic and amane songs.
Dimitrios Semsis was, without doubt, the greatest violinist in the rebetic and smyrnaic style. He recorded hundreds of discs and plenty of them are re-released nowadays. In 1972, in an interview, Roza Eskenazi said that Dimitrios was playing "the best violin in the world".
After a short time of illness, he died by cancer in Athens, on 13 January 1950. He has living descendants in Greece
.
Strumica
Strumica is the largest city in eastern Macedonia, near the Novo Selo-Petrich border crossing with Bulgaria. About 100,000 people live in the region surrounding the city. The city is named after the Strumica River which runs through it...
.
At the end of 19th century, he joined the band of a circus, which was traveling all over the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. In 1908 married his first wife Sonhoula Bochor Hanne and become his daughter Enriquette, cousin of Eskenazi Rosa, in the year about 1910. Later, he joined other traveling bands and played in several places such as Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and elsewhere. After the end of the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, as Strumica
Strumica
Strumica is the largest city in eastern Macedonia, near the Novo Selo-Petrich border crossing with Bulgaria. About 100,000 people live in the region surrounding the city. The city is named after the Strumica River which runs through it...
remained in the kingdom of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Dimitrios Semsis' family moved to Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
(1919). In 1923 he married Dimitra Kanoula and had four children. At the beginning of 1927 he moved to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. By that time he took the nickname "Salonikios", probably because some agents from recording companies thought that his origin was from Thessaloniki. He is the first instrument player that his name is written on the disc labels. At the end of 1920s, Dimitrios Semsis was Recording Director of HMV and Columbia. He participated in hundreds of recordings of folk, rebetic and smyrnaic songs between 1924 and 1931. He presented his first songs in 1928 and became the Director of Arts of His Master's Voice, in 1931 until his death. He composed over 100 songs.
In the 1930s, Dimitrios was recording with Roza Eskenazi
Roza Eskenazi
Roza Eskenazi was a famous Jewish-Greek singer of rebetiko and Greek folk music born in Constantinople , whose recording and stage career extended from the late 1920s into the 1970s....
, with great successes. He often was accompanying her to the taverns with Tompoulis, Lampros Savvaidis and Lampros Leonaridis. His compositions were being recorded by the greatest artists of that time, such as Rita Ampatzi
Rita Abatzi
Rita Abatzi was a Greek rebetiko musician who began her career in the first part of the 1930s.She was born in Smyrna, Asia Minor, now İzmir, Turkey. A versatile singer of rebetiko, Smyrneika and other music, she was a popular performer on gramophone records in the 1930s...
, Stelios Perpiniadis
Stelios Perpiniadis
Stelios Perpiniadis , better known as Stellakis , was a Greek folk musician who wrote, sang, and played guitar in the rebetiko style. He was the father of another well-known Greek folk musician, Vangelis Perpiniadis....
and Stratos Pagioumtzis. He composed rebetic, folk, smyrnaic and amane songs.
Dimitrios Semsis was, without doubt, the greatest violinist in the rebetic and smyrnaic style. He recorded hundreds of discs and plenty of them are re-released nowadays. In 1972, in an interview, Roza Eskenazi said that Dimitrios was playing "the best violin in the world".
After a short time of illness, he died by cancer in Athens, on 13 January 1950. He has living descendants in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.