\u201cThanasis, why are the mountains black?\u201d asks Christopher King, speaking to Pontic lyra virtuoso Thanasis Stilidis. The two men exchange a long, almost conspiratorial glance before Stilidis replies: \u201cThe mountains are always black before dawn. Because dawn is near. That\u2019s why the mountains are black. Because after sorrow comes joy. After death comes resurrection.\u201d<\/p>\n
This poetic, philosophical question recurs in various forms across the six episodes of the eponymous series \u2013 a Cosmote TV co-production \u2013\u00a0as the American collector and researcher journeys through the Greek landscape \u2013 from Macedonia to Crete, and from the Peloponnese to his beloved Epirus. In the episode we watched, he introduces himself as an \u201cethnomusicologist\u201d and a \u201ctaster of tsipouro.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea came from our team at White Room. I had read \u2018Lament from Epirus,\u2019 Christopher\u2019s book on the folk music of Epirus, so we approached him with the idea of creating a series on regional musical traditions,\u201d says Michalis Aristomenopoulos, producer and artistic director of the series. \u201cHe, however, preferred to focus on mirologi, connecting Epirus\u2019 traditions with those of the rest of Greece. We ultimately settled on a thematic approach, followed in each episode and reflected in their titles.\u201d<\/p>\n
The first episode, set to premiere on April 13 on Cosmote TV under the title \u201cAir,\u201d explores how nature shapes music through the evolution of musical instruments \u2013 for example, how the humble shepherd\u2019s flute of Epirus gradually transforms into a more versatile instrument, such as the clarinet. In \u201cWords,\u201d viewers travel to Crete to immerse themselves in the world of mantinada poetry; in \u201cPlumage,\u201d traditional costumes are explored; and in \u201cSteps,\u201d the dances that translate regional music into movement are examined.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, the series is about both the literal and metaphorical journey of Christopher King. We began filming in November 2024 and wrapped in September 2025, following local festivals, rituals, and customs,\u201d Aristomenopoulos notes.<\/p>\n In the fifth episode, titled \u201cRituals\u201d \u2013 which was also screened at the recent Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival \u2013 the team travels to Macedonia to document the Pontic custom of \u201cMomoeri.\u201d With roots in pagan and Dionysian traditions, this ritual involves disguises and a (inebriated) procession through the village streets, accompanied, naturally, by music. Initially hesitant, King soon grasps the meaning of the tradition and participates fully. One of the disguised villagers warns him: \u201cThere will be chaos here today.\u201d<\/p>\n The atmosphere changes in Pogoni, Epirus, where locals celebrate the \u201cdolia,\u201d a tradition centered on forgiveness and reconciliation among villagers. It is also a moment to honor those who are absent or have died \u2013 the music mirrors this, with the clarinet\u2019s plaintive cry echoing the emotions of the crowd. The series concludes in Drama, where participants of the \u201canastenarides\u201d ritual \u2013 closely tied to Christian faith \u2013 walk barefoot across hot embers, some playing the lyra as they go. In this case, the protagonist does not dare step onto the coals himself.<\/p>\n Elsewhere in the series, dramatization is pronounced \u2013 the script also benefited from Katerina Kafentzi (Kafka) \u2013 to the extent that Aristomenopoulos describes the project as docu-fiction.<\/p>\n \u201cChristopher\u2019s personality plays a big role. When I first met him, I imagined someone who had won a Grammy, an academic, serious and well-read. Instead, I found a larger-than-life character who loves music and classic American literature. He is deeply influenced by Hunter S. Thompson\u2019s gonzo approach and experiences everything with all his senses. The night we met, at an Onassis Stegi festival around 2-3 a.m. after a few drinks, he challenged us to a bare-handed fight. \u2018You will not leave here until blood is shed,\u2019 he said. It seemed strange at first, but I realized that, in his philosophy, this was a way to forge a bond,\u201d Aristomenopoulos recalls.<\/p>\n The six-episode documentary \u201cWhy the Mountains Are Black\u201d will premiere on April 13 on Cosmote TV<\/p>\n![\"why-the-mountains-are-black-a-tv-documentary-on-music-ritual-and-memory-in-greece0\"](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/king2-scaled.jpg?1775742595984\")
![\"why-the-mountains-are-black-a-tv-documentary-on-music-ritual-and-memory-in-greece2\"](\"https:\/\/www.ekathimerini.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/king3-scaled.jpg?1775742488441\")
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