PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the traditional Greek island song "Ikariotikos" (Ικαριότικο), which was popularized on a recording by Giannis Parios.

Also included is a pronunciation guide for the Greek lyrics so you can sing along if you like.

Song lyrics are provided for educational purposes. If you like the song, please purchase either the album or a download from an authorized source.

Important Note

With both the authentic traditional island version and the more modern version, please never perform to this in a full belly dance set or a belly dance costume. This specific song and its associated dance form has nothing to do with belly dance, and it is important for belly dancers to respect the cultures that music and dance come from.

About this Song

The original title of this song was "Ee agapi mou stin Ikaria" (My love in Ikaria), written in Greek as Η αγάπη μου στην Ικαρία. It later took on the name "Ikariotikos", which is a reference to the Greek island of Ikaria.

The beautiful island of Ikaria is located close to the spot where Greek legend says Icarus fell into the sea after flying too close to the sun.

You can think of the dance that people do to this song as being the Syrtaki of the islands, meaning it is a sort of made-up dance in modern times. The translated version on this page was made famous by renowned singer Giannis Parios. My Baba sponsored him in Boston a couple times for a concert or Greek party. However, the real music and dance from Ikaria is different.

I personally recall always hearing this song towards the end of the night in the hottest Greek clubs of the diaspora. The fast footwork and jumping up and down has an interesting effect when mixed with a lot of alcohol!

In the version of this song by Yiannis Parios, he adds the words "dos' tou dos' tou", which is like saying "Yeah, keep going, keep going," as the song accelerates in speed!

Please see my article Ikariotikos: The Story of the Song and Its Dance for more detailed information about this song, its history, and how the traditional version compares with the modern ones.

About Giannis Parios

Giannis Parios is the professional name for Ioannis Varthakouris, a composer, lyricist, and singer who was born on the Greek island of Paros. He recorded his first album in 1971, and more than 40 additional albums in the decades that followed.

In 1982, he released his album titled Nisiotika, which holds the record for Greek sales (over 1,400,000 copies). It consisted of a collection of songs of the Aegean islands. "Ikariotikos" was one of the songs featured on that album.

Song: Ikariotikos (From Ikaria), 1975

Lyrics: Giorgos Konitopoulos

Music: Giorgos Konitopoulos

Original Artist: Giorgos Konitopoulos

Has Also Been Recorded By:

• Giannis Parios, 1982

Dance Style: Ikariotikos (a line dance in the syrtos family) - please do not belly dance to this!

Τραγούδι: Ικαριότικο, 1975

Μουσική: Γιώργος Κονιτόπουλος

Στίχοι: Γιώργος Κονιτόπουλος

Πρώτη εκτέλεση: Γιώργος Κονιτόπουλος

Άλλοι Ερμηνευτές:

• Γιάννης Πάριος, 1982

Χορός: Ικαριότικο