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Morfotiki Stegi Hameziou
Our association is a non-profit organization based in Chamezi. It was founded in 1978 by the folklorist Eirini Papadaki and now consists of permanent residents of Chamezi as well as young people associated with it.
It operates in the field of culture and tradition. It organizes numerous events throughout the year, which are implemented with the help of the entire village.
Since 2023, it has been organizing the Chamezi Festival, a festival of music, art, and culture aimed at highlighting our place and our tradition!
It operates in the field of culture and tradition. It organizes numerous events throughout the year, which are implemented with the help of the entire village.
Since 2023, it has been organizing the Chamezi Festival, a festival of music, art, and culture aimed at highlighting our place and our tradition!
Hamezi Festival
We talk about it as a tradition.
It is not a memory that was created and then covered by other memories.
It is a living, pulsating thing. That is being formed and re-formed.
We speak of it as an experience.
It is more than our music or our dancing; it is the way our bread smells.
And more: it's how music smells like our bread.
The Hamezi Festival is organized to consolidate and expand the "us" behind these two words.
It is not a memory that was created and then covered by other memories.
It is a living, pulsating thing. That is being formed and re-formed.
We speak of it as an experience.
It is more than our music or our dancing; it is the way our bread smells.
And more: it's how music smells like our bread.
The Hamezi Festival is organized to consolidate and expand the "us" behind these two words.
Hamezi
Hamezi (or Hamaizi) is located at the eastern end of Crete, 11 kilometers west of the city of Sitia and at an altitude of 430 meters.
Hamezi has long stood out in the province of Sitia as the village with its many "meraklis", its dancers, mantiniadologists (singers), lyra players and violinists. This character remains alive in the village to this day. It has also been famous throughout time for its good stone craftsmen, while it is known to visitors for its archaeological monuments (see Souvloto Muri, Liopetro Fortress).
Hamezi has long stood out in the province of Sitia as the village with its many "meraklis", its dancers, mantiniadologists (singers), lyra players and violinists. This character remains alive in the village to this day. It has also been famous throughout time for its good stone craftsmen, while it is known to visitors for its archaeological monuments (see Souvloto Muri, Liopetro Fortress).
the musical tradition
Ηamezi is perhaps the only village in the area where serenades are still performed and is considered by the people of SItia as one of the most admired villages in the province with many musicians, violinists, lyra players, with good-voiced singers and excellent dancers.
A symbol of the special Hamezi musical idiom is the famous lyre player Kazamioyiannis.
Other excellent musicians are Manolis Kazamias (lyra), son of Kazamiogiannis, Yiannis Stavroulakis (violin), Kostas Maridakis (lyra), Dionysis, Nikos and Giorgos Giannakakis (violin, mandolin), Pantelis and Nikos Voutyrakis (violin guitar ), Manolis Lagoudakis (lyra), Michalis Pappadakis, Michalis Kazamias (guitar) and Yiannis Kazamias (lyra).
The musical tradition of Hamezi is continued by young men and women who, with passion, deal with the music of their country, study the old melodies, but also create new ones.
A symbol of the special Hamezi musical idiom is the famous lyre player Kazamioyiannis.
Other excellent musicians are Manolis Kazamias (lyra), son of Kazamiogiannis, Yiannis Stavroulakis (violin), Kostas Maridakis (lyra), Dionysis, Nikos and Giorgos Giannakakis (violin, mandolin), Pantelis and Nikos Voutyrakis (violin guitar ), Manolis Lagoudakis (lyra), Michalis Pappadakis, Michalis Kazamias (guitar) and Yiannis Kazamias (lyra).
The musical tradition of Hamezi is continued by young men and women who, with passion, deal with the music of their country, study the old melodies, but also create new ones.
