Greek Independence Day 200 Year Anniversary Celebrations - The Dance of Zalongo - Tribute from the US Army Europe & Africa Band & Chorus

 

Zaloggo in the mountains of Epirus - O Horos tou Zaloggou - The Dance of Zalongo
These truly awe-inspiring giant marble statues depict the  women of Souli joining hands and dancing - singing "Adieu Sweet life. Soulitiosses cannot live without their freedom" before jumping  to their death to avoid capture, slavery and rape...

 

Greece's 200th Greek Independence Day Celebrations have inspired many countries and individuals to honour this amazing little country which has given so very much to the world. 

 

We just love this very touching version of The Dance of Zalongo... Ζήτω η Ελλάδα!

"Happy Independence Day, Greece! We are thrilled to highlight the strong diplomatic relationship between Greece and the United States. To commemorate this occasion, members of our Soldiers’ Chorus perform the Greek folk song “Dance of Zalongo.” wrote the band on its You Tube post.

 

The Dance of Zalongo refers to the mass suicide of women from Souli and their children that occurred in the aftermath of an invasion of Ottoman troops on December 16, 1803.  

Members of the #USArmy Soldiers’ Chorus perform the #Greece folk song “Dance of Zalongo.”




It would be true to say that hearing this young woman singing in such perfect Greek moved many of us to tears. Her name is Cindy Ozokwere and she grew up in Greece, went to school and moved to the USA after finishing Greek high school in Keratea. 

When we first saw it on You Tube it had under 3,000 views, it has over 142,000 right now!
(Update - 30 March 2021: 259,000)

Glad to have helped it go viral.

It deserves the recognition!

Thank you and and a special bravo to Cindy!

#StrongEurope​ #StrongerTogether​ #GreekIndependenceDay​ #25ηΜαρτιου​ #Greece #IStandWithGreece​ #Greece2021

 The women of Souli chose death before enslavement and dishonour by taking a leap over the Zalongo gorge cliff. 

The event is taught in schools and commemorated in Greece in the context of the 1821 Greek War of Independence.

A number of 60 women were trapped near the village of Zalongo in Epirus, modern Greece, then Ottoman Empire, and decided to turn towards the cliff's edge and die with their infants and children rather than submit to the Ottoman troops chasing them.

They sang this song, dancing hand in hand to the edge of the cliff then jumped one by one to certain death.

Immortalised in marble at Zalongo. to this day these brave and courageous women remain a reminder that life without freedom is not worth living as fish cannot live on dry land nor can a flower blossom on sand....

The photos are ours taken during a trip to this historic and inspiring monument.

 

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