Ode to Hagi Steriu — Aromanian Folk Song
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Short History
Gramos is a remote mountain village in Greece. The village is a traditional Aromanian settlement, named after the nearby Gramos mountains located south of the village. It is also situated very close to the Albanian border. Like most Aromanian settlements, its population has been in constant decline. A 2001 Greek census revealed a population of 28 inhabitants. Another Greek census from 2011 showed a declining population of 18 inhabitants.
What is now a dying village, used to be an important settlement for the Aromanian people. In some folk songs, this village is mentioned along with Moscopole, which was once considered to be the most emblematic cultural center of the Aromanian people.
Stories about the former glory of Gramos are still present in the collective conscience of the Aromanians. They keep that glory alive through their music, just as their language lives on through their songs. One such story is this ballad about an influential man named Hagi Steriu from Gramos.
