“Semazen” │ George Klountzos & Semazen Ensemble
The title Semazen comes from the Persian word Sama-zan (samazan), which refers to the dancer of Sama. Sama (from Arabic) means “listening,” while zan (from Persian) means “one who does.” Sama is a form of active meditation that originated in Sufi circles. Through listening to music, rotating the body, and abandoning the ego, the practitioner seeks union with the Divine, in an act that symbolizes the orbit of the planets around the Sun.
George Klountzos-Chrysidis is a drummer and producer from Thessaloniki. In his first solo album, entitled Semazen, he attempts to explore the boundaries and connections between jazz, hip hop, and house music through a broad experimental approach.
After the album’s release, Klountzos-Chrysidis founded the Semazen Ensemble. The ensemble moves in a colorful soundscape that combines elements of jazz, broken beat, house, hip hop, dub, and other musical genres, with the aim of exploring the possibilities of rhythm, improvisation, and collective musical expression.
Each live performance of the ensemble becomes a liberating experience, where music serves as a common ground for connection and authentic expression. The Semazen Ensemble was born out of the needs of the community it serves—creating a vibrant space for communication, participation, and coexistence.
The album has already been featured on major radio stations such as: Radio Alhara, Soho Radio, Stegi Radio, The Boat Pod (Marcia Carr – Take The Con) and Comala Radio.
- Tasos Korkovelos – keys
- Dimitris Christonis – bass
- George Klountzos-Chrysidis – drums