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Dēmētrios Semsēs (Δημήτρης Σέμσης)

Dimitrios Semsis, also known as Dimitrios Salonikios (Greek: Δημήτρης Σέμσης; 1883 – 13 January 1950), was a Greek violinist born Dimitrios Koukoudeas (Δημήτριος Κουκουδέας) in Strumica, in the Salonica Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire (present-day North Macedonia).

At the end of the 19th century, he joined the band of a circus, which was traveling all over the Balkans. In 1908 married his first wife Sonhoula Bochor Hanne and become his daughter Enriquette, cousin of Eskenazi Rosa, in the year about 1910. Later, he joined other traveling bands and played in several places such as Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Sudan and elsewhere.

After the end of the World War I, as Strumica remained in the kingdom of Serbia, Dimitrios Semsis' family moved to Thessaloniki (1919). In 1923, he married Dimitra Kanoula and had four children. At the beginning of 1927 he moved to Athens. By that time he took the nickname "Salonikios", probably because some agents from recording companies thought that his origin was from Thessaloniki.

At the end of the 1920s, Semsis was Recording Director of HMV and Columbia. He participated in hundreds of recordings of folk and smyrnaic songs between 1924 and 1931. He presented his first songs in 1928 and became the Director of Arts of His Master's Voice, in 1931 until his death. He composed over 100 songs.

In the 1930s, Dimitrios was recording with Roza Eskenazi, with great successes. He often was accompanying her to the taverns with Tompoulis, Lampros Savvaidis and Lampros Leonaridis. His compositions were being recorded by the greatest artists of that time, such as Rita Ampatzi, Stelios Perpiniadis and Stratos Pagioumtzis. He composed folk, smyrnaic and amane songs.

Dimitrios Semsis recorded hundreds of discs and plenty of them are re-released nowadays. In 1972, in an interview, Roza Eskenazi said that Dimitrios was playing "the best violin in the world".

After a short time of illness, he died of cancer in Athens on 13 January 1950.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1883 (Strumica), Died January 13, 1950 (Athens)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1910 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, director, composer, violin, arranger

Notes: Also known by his nickname, Salonikiós.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 127 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 0GA69 10-in. 11/24/1934 Ē Voliōtissa (Η Βολιώτισσα) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin  
Gramophone 0GA70 10-in. 11/24/1934 To neo chanoumaki (Το νεο χανουμακι) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble instrumentalist, violin  
Gramophone 0GA93 10-in. 12/12/1934 Mē me stelneis manna stēn Amerikē (Μη με στέλνεις μάννα στην Αμερική) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo, with instrumental trio instrumentalist, violin, songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA95 10-in. 12/12/1934 Argētopoula (Αργητοπούλα) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo, instrumental trio instrumentalist, violin  
Gramophone 0GA138 10-in. 12/15/1934 Soulimiōtisa (Σουλιμιώτισα) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) ; Ap. Stamelos (Απ. Σταμιλος) Female vocal solo and clarinet, with instrumental ensemble and talk composer  
Gramophone 0GA161 10-in. 12/28/1934 Kophtēn Elenē tēn elia (Κόφτην Ελένη την ελιά) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) ; Ap. Stamelos (Απ. Σταμιλος) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) composer  
Gramophone 0GA187 10-in. 1/5/1935 or earlier O kokoras (Ο κόκορας) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Gramophone 0GA204 10-in. 9/20/1935 Ē pi omorph' eisai sto choro (Η πι όμορφ' είσαι στο χορό) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Gramophone 0GA208 10-in. 9/20/1935 Etsi Marika dechomai (Έτσι Μαρίκα δέχομαι) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Gramophone 0GA235 10-in. 9/27/1935 Pote the narthei o kairos (Πότε θε νάρθει ο καιρός) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) ; Nikos Karakostas (Νικος Καρακōstas) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA274 10-in. 10/10/1935 Chronia stēn xenēteia (Χρονια στην ξενητεια) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA275 10-in. 10/10/1935 Mes to vathy skotadi (Μες το βαθύ σκοτάδι) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA292 10-in. 1/21/1936 Cheimariōtikos choros (Χειμαριωτικος χορος) Ap. Stamelos (Απ. Σταμιλος) Klarino (clarinet) solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Gramophone 0GA316 10-in. before 12/1/1936 Trava s' allē geitonia (Τραβα σ' αλλη γειτονια) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo composer  
Gramophone 0GA336 10-in. before 12/1/1936 Varethēka tēn xenitia (Βαρέθηκα την ξενιτιά) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) ; Ap. Stamelos (Απ. Σταμιλος) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA339 10-in. Apr. 1936 Apopse me pantreuoune (Απόψε με παντρεύουνε) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) ; Ap. Stamelos (Απ. Σταμιλος) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA344 10-in. Apr 1936 Ta vasana tis plistras (Τα βάσανα της πλύστρας) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA345 10-in. April 1936 Apopse an theleis (Απόψε αν θέλεις) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA364 10-in. 6/19/1936 Spasta phōs mou gia ta mena (Σπάστα φως μου για τα μένα) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA367 10-in. 6/19/1936 Klepsan tē vasilikē (Κλέψαν τη Βασιλική) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) ; Nikos Karakostas (Νικος Καρακōstas) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA368 10-in. 6/19/1936 Samarina (Σαμαρίνα) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) ; Nikos Karakostas (Νικος Καρακōstas) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA399 10-in. 1936 Mias chēras thygatera (Μιας χήρας θυγατέρα) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA402 10-in. 1936 Stazoun ta keramidia sou (Στάζουν τα κεραμίδια σου) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) ; Nikos Karakostas (Νικος Καρακōstas) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) composer  
Gramophone 0GA438 10-in. before 6/18/1937 Vlacha plenei sto potami (Βλάχα πλένει στο ποτάμι) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) ; Nikos Karakostas (Νικος Καρακōstas) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) composer  
Gramophone 0GA445 10-in. before 6/18/1937 Mēn orkizesai vre pseutra (Μην ορκίζεσαι βρε ψεύτρα) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
(Results 26-50 of 127 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Semsēs, Dēmētrios (Σέμσης, Δημήτρης)," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107289.

Semsēs, Dēmētrios (Σέμσης, Δημήτρης). (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107289.

"Semsēs, Dēmētrios (Σέμσης, Δημήτρης)." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107289

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