Harris Lambrakis is one of the world’s most distinguished ney players, or neyzen. Born in Athens, he studied music in the experimental Pallini Music High School, before studying music at the University of Athens. He has recorded over 150 albums, collaborating along the way with artists worldwide. Here he plays a rendition of a song from Naousa, in Northern Greece, called ‘Veter da podujne’ (which means 'may the wind blow'). The melody is in 11/8 (4 + 3 + 4) and is preceded by an improvisation.
The ney (Persian: نی / نای‎), is an endblown flute that figures prominently in Middle Eastern music. It has been played in varying forms for 4,500-5,000 years, making it one of the oldest musical instruments still in use. The word is Farsi for reed. In its traditional form, the instrument ney is made from the Arundo Donax plant, the same used to make oboe, saxophone and clarinet reeds. The name ney (pronounced as in NEIGHbor) is used by Turks and Persians; many Arabs pronounce the word as Nai (rhymes with high). The ney is one of the most common instruments in Classical Ottoman music, and also plays a primary role in the music of the Mevlevi Sufi rites (semâ).
The ney comes in different lengths, each one being tuned to a specific pitch. The instrument that Harris plays here is tuned on a B, which in Turkish is called ‘Kız’.