The project Amaryllis – from the Greek word meaning “to shine” – was founded in 2022 by Samuel Mele and Mattia Manco, with the aim of creating a musical language that blends Italian influences, particularly from the Grecanic tradition, with Greek and Byzantine elements. This rich cultural heritage spans over five centuries of religious, artistic, and historical stratification, now largely forgotten yet still deeply embedded in the Mediterranean identity.

In February 2024, musicians Samuel Mele and Mattia Manco, together with production manager Claudia De Ventura, traveled to Crete, where they met musicians Kelly Thomà, Stelios Petrakis, Evgenia Toli, and Eleanna Papanikolopoulou. This encounter led to a meaningful artistic collaboration and the recording of original compositions in the Griko language, alongside instrumental pieces, collected in the album “O Fiuro Tos Krifò” – The Flower of Secrets.

The album stands as a cultural bridge between two peoples who, despite geographical distance, seem never to have lost connection. Its soundscape reflects an ongoing dialogue between past and present, tradition and innovation. Mattia Manco, an accordionist and expert in the Griko language, and Samuel Mele, a multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicologist, are both composers and authors of the project. Hailing from Grecìa Salentina, they share a deep passion for musical research across the Mediterranean and the Middle East.