The clarinet ( eythyaylos ) is a wind instrument, solo instrument of Western origin. It came into Greece in the middle of the 19th century. and quickly prevailed, replacing the older flogera, zourna and sourauli due to its great musical capabilities. The Greek instrumentalists took advantage of its strong, brilliant sound, developed the technique of playing the instrument and passed the “catches” of the flogera and the zournas, succeeding in rendering with a western musical instrument the untempered intervals of the traditional Greek scales.
The clarinet occupies an important position in the traditional music of Epirus, while with the violin, the lute, the tambourine and the santouri they form the kompania , the preeminent folk band of mainland Greece.