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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 51-75 of 127 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Gramophone 0GA448 10-in. before 6/18/1937 Poia ein' autē pou perase (Ποια ειν' αυτή που πέρασε) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) ; Nikos Karakostas (Νικος Καρακōstas) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) composer  
Gramophone 0GA452 10-in. before 10/20/1937 Zeimpekiko bam (Ζειμπέκικο μπαμ) Orchestra Populaire (Λαϊκή Ορχήστρα) Instrumental ensemble composer  
Gramophone 0GA500 10-in. before 10/20/1937 Treis lampadoules (Τρεις λαμπαδούλες) Athanasia Athraïdu (Αθανασία Ατραϊδου) ; Nikos Karakostas (Νικος Καρακōstas) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA501 10-in. before 10/20/1937 Pou einai ē nyphē mas (Που είναι η νύφη μας) Athanasia Athraïdu (Αθανασία Ατραϊδου) ; Nikos Karakostas (Νικος Καρακōstas) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA516 10-in. before 8/12/1938 Chōriatopoula (Χωριατοπούλα) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA518 10-in. before 3/4/1938 Den thelō geron antra (Δεν θέλω γέρον άντρα) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA519 10-in. before 3/4/1938 Mou pēran tēn agapē mou (Μου πήραν την αγάπη μου) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA568 10-in. before 7/24/1939 Ta dyo sou matia (Τα δυο σου μάτια) Stellakēs Perpiniadēs (Στελλάκης Περπινιάδης) Male vocal solo, with klarino (clarinet) songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA569 10-in. before 4/5/1938 Ē diprosōpē (Η διπρόσωπη) Stellakēs Perpiniadēs (Στελλάκης Περπινιάδης) Male vocal solo composer  
Gramophone 0GA581 10-in. before 10/20/1937 Apophasisa pouli mou (Αποφάσισα πουλί μου) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA591 10-in. before 4/5/1938 Ē pseutophilia (Η ψευτοφιλία) Stratos Pagioumtzis (Στρατος Παγιουμτζης) ; Stellakēs Perpiniadēs (Στελλάκης Περπινιάδης) Male vocal duet songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA599 10-in. before 4/5/1938 Mana tēs Giōrgainas o gios (Μάνα της Γιώργαινας ο γιος) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA600 10-in. before 4/5/1938 To balkonaki (Το μπαλκονάκι) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo, with violin instrumentalist, violin  
Gramophone 0GA601 10-in. before 9/23/1938 Paei to pouli mou (Πάει το πουλί μου) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo, with violin instrumentalist, violin  
Gramophone 0GA602 10-in. before 1/27/1938 Steile me mana (Στείλε με μάνα) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) ; Stellakēs Perpiniadēs (Στελλάκης Περπινιάδης) Female-male vocal duet songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA603 10-in. before 1/27/1938 Giati me xechases (Γιατί με ξέχασες) Stellakēs Perpiniadēs (Στελλάκης Περπινιάδης) Male vocal solo songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA660 10-in. January 1938 O deilos (O δειλος) Nikos Gounarēs (Νίκος Γούναρης) ; Stellakēs Perpiniadēs (Στελλάκης Περπινιάδης) Male vocal duet songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA695 10-in. March 1938 Namoun vrysē namoun sterna (Νάμουν βρύση νάμουν στέρνα) Athanasia Athraïdu (Αθανασία Ατραϊδου) ; Nikos Karakostas (Νικος Καρακōstas) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) composer  
Gramophone 0GA696 10-in. March 1938 Eicha mia kota (Είχα μια κότα) Athanasia Athraïdu (Αθανασία Ατραϊδου) ; Nikos Karakostas (Νικος Καρακōstas) Female vocal solo and klarino (clarinet) composer  
Gramophone 0GA700 10-in. March 1938 Se xerō (Σε ξέρω) Roza Eskenazē (Ρόζα Εσκενάζη) Female vocal solo, with instrumental quartet songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA701 10-in. March 1938 Boemēs (Μποέμης) Stratos Pagioumtzis (Στρατος Παγιουμτζης) ; Stellakēs Perpiniadēs (Στελλάκης Περπινιάδης) Male vocal duet songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA702 10-in. March 1938 Mē kaneis pia tēn exypnē (Μη κάνεις πια την έξυπνη) Stratos Pagioumtzis (Στρατος Παγιουμτζης) Male vocal solo songwriter  
Gramophone 0GA723 10-in. March 1938 Ē Magdalō (Η Μαγδάλω) Stellakēs Perpiniadēs (Στελλάκης Περπινιάδης) Male vocal solo composer  
Gramophone 0GA747 10-in. April 1938 Esy 'sai trelo koritsi (Εσύ 'σαι τρελό κορίτσι) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) Female vocal solo composer  
Gramophone 0GA787 10-in. August 1938 An phygēs gia tēn xenēteia (Αν φυγής για την ξενητειά) Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή) ; Stellakēs Perpiniadēs (Στελλάκης Περπινιάδης) Female-male vocal duet songwriter  
(Results 51-75 of 127 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Semsēs, Dēmētrios (Σέμσης, Δημήτρης)," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107289.

Semsēs, Dēmētrios (Σέμσης, Δημήτρης). (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107289.

"Semsēs, Dēmētrios (Σέμσης, Δημήτρης)." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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