Our group was the 'unlucky' one!
We didn't go to school in the afternoon like the other
children did , neither our teacher drove us with her car to visit
Mr Koutsourelos at home ……
Why?? Because he preferred to visit us at school!!! He came in
the morning, to talk to us , to show and play the Pipiza for
us .
As soon as he came in , he started playing a wooden flute -
quite different than the one we have at school -… we were all
sitting around him in silence looking at him… After a while he
started to tell us: " I was 8 years old when I saw the first
flute .. we had very little money for food , how could I ask to
buy a flute ? So , I went to a river full of reeds, I cut
one made my first flute…I remember I chiseled it day and night
, I worked on it again and again until its sound was good to
my ears . No teacher for me…all I've learnt I've done slowly .
After some years I bought a better flute and later a Pipiza …
A aa ! ! The Pipiza has another quality of sound . It's better
to play it outside for many people .This instrument is separated
into 3 parts : the main part , the "thief" , and the "tsabounas".
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I have made many "tsabunas " by myself … I take a reed which I
tie round and round tightly with a thin rope and then I
straighten it with a hot iron until I get the sound I want.
A few years ago I used to play in weddings , engagements and
baptisms while the people danced . I was collected a lot of money !
Now it's a bit difficult , because I' m not so young anymore………………….
Children , come on ………………ask me something!!"
All of us , looked at each other, our teacher looked at our
notes we had prepared and she replied that he had not only
answered our questions , but he had also kept us quiet for 25
minutes , something very difficult for her to do this year!
Anyway he played 2 more songs he said "I shall come back
soon " and then he left..
