Sousamlis Giannis

Place of birth: Agiasos, Lesvos

Year of birth: 1928

Nickname:
They used to call him “Kakourgos” (criminal) and this was inherited from his father. He characteristically comments on this: “When we played music with my father they used to call him as “the old Criminal” while I was the “young” one. They don’t really know me by my real name. Everybody who comes here calls me by my nickname, even foreigners. My nickname has helped me a lot with my music career. I have sold thousands of audio tapes because of it. Thanks to this fact I was able to help my daughter bring up her girl, because she was separated.” He also says: “Half of our village shares the same surname. We are the largest family in Agiasos and we have been involved in all kinds of jobs. As you can see, there are musicians, artists, carpenters, architects, painters and so on.”

Job:
Yannis Sousamlis was a professional musician. He played dulcimer (santouri). He also used to play drums and guitar and he used to give guitar and santouri lessons to children.

Family status:
Yannis Sousamlis’ father and all his uncles were born in Smyrna. They came to Agiasos in 1922. Many of his relatives are musicians. Some of them are:

– Panayiotis Susamlis or else known as the “Kakourgos”. He was Yannis’ father. He was born in 1886 and died in the early 40’s. He was a carpenter and a professional clarinet player.
– Achilles Sousamlis. He was Yannis’ uncle. He was born in 1884 in Smyrna. He was a professional organ player with theoretical knowledge on music. He was also teaching music and played violin. On the top of it all, he knew how to compose rhythms with the barrel-organ.
– Xenofon Susamlis (1880-1957). Another uncle of his. He worked in the County Court as a secretary officer. He was a great barrel-organ player and he used to accompany it with his tambourine.
– Prokopis Susamlis (1904-1944). Another uncle of his. He was a carpenter and a musician with theoretical knowledge of music. He was playing the cornet, santouri, violin, mandolin, guitar and trumpet.
– Stratos Susamlis (his nickname is “Selemis”). He was Achilles son. He died in 1995. He was a professional musician as he was playing the clarinet, accordion and violin.
– Marios Susamlis. He is Achilles son. He is playing guitar and he is singing.
– Panayiotis Susamlis or better known as “Samis”. He is Achilles’ son. He is playing guitar and he is singing. He used to work as a professional singer in Thessaloniki.
– Vasilis Susamlis who is Achilles son. He was born in 1933. He is a professional musician, playing violin.
– Panayiotis Susamlis. He is Prokopis’ son. He was born in 1944. He is a professional musician playing violin.
– Raphael Susamlis (1903-1982). He is Xenofontas’ son. He was a carpenter and he used to play euphonium.

Jobs and other career pursuits:
Giannis Susamlis was not only a musician. He was also a carpenter. During the last years he had a small shop in Agiasos where he exhibited his own various wooden pieces for decorative use. In his shop he used to play santouri every day and he was recording amateurish cassettes with his own music.
As Giannis Susamlis says: “It’s been 10 years that I stopped playing with other musicians because I keep this little shop. I earn money in an easier way and it’s my own business. I am free to do whatever I want and stop it when it’s time to do it. Thanks to this shop I don’t have to stay up working until late as I used to do for so many years. I like it here. I don’t go to coffee-shops anymore as I used to. My little shop, my santouri and my art helped me to find my way”.

His music group:
Giannis Susamlis started playing santouri professionally at the age of 11 in 1939.His was playing together with his father Panayiotis who was in charge of the clarinet. Until his father’s death in the early 40’s Giannis Sousamlis had taken part in his family music band. In the 50’s he played santouri with Michalis Moutzourellis (clarinet, his nickname was “Lagos” which means rabbit), Komninos (violin), three other musicians from Agiasos (two played guitar and the other the accordion) and Tzitzina who sang.
On the matter of singing Giannis Sousamlis (he rarely sang) says: “It’s very tiring to play santouri and sing at the same time. You can’t do it because you can start mincing. This is why people who play santouri can’t really get in singing.”

Until the Second World War Panayiotis Sousamlis participated in a music band in Agiasos which had the forward members:
– Panayiotis Sousamlis (clarinet)
– Psirras (santouri)
– Stratis Rodanos (cornet)
– Achilles Sousamlis (violin)
– Prokopis Sousamlis (cornet and trombone)
– Nicolaos Rodanos (euphonium)

After the war in 1940 a new member joined in and that was Xarilaos Rodanos (who played violin).

Activities and a final appraisal:
Giannis Sousamlis played santouri all around the island of Lesvos. He didn’t to some villages like Molivos and Eressos.

In the 1950’s Giannis Sousamlis co-operated with younger musicians from Agiasos and he wasn’t a part of the “Rodanos” band or the “Sousamlis” one. Michalis Moutzourelis or “Lagos” (clarinet), Komninos (violin) and some others were his partners. He says for them: “They were two young people with guitars and another one who committed suicide and played the accordion. We also had another who used to sing. His name was “Tzitzinas”. He originated from Agiasos but he lives in Mytilene. There were some pieces that he only sung them. We played here and in all the villages around. They would call us to weddings, festivals and to companies of people who wanted to have fun.”

Giannis Sousamlis with his santouri participated man times in theatrical productions which were held in Agiasos (“Anagnostirion”).