It is characterized by lively, impromptu oral poetry performed to the accompaniment of violin and lute in rhyming couplets by poet-singers competing to outdo one another in 'jousting.' It is also referred to as tsiattista tou paliomatou (tsiattista of fighting).
Tsiattista is a tradition that was widely spread and flourished throughout Cyprus, but especially in the Kokkinochoria region. Its origins and competition can be traced back to the Homeric period. Records from the fifteenth century and onwards refer to Cypriot peasants performing improvised poetry at gatherings and fairs.
The art of poetry relies on the expressive possibilities of language. The modern theory defines this as creative energy in general, artistic zeal in particular, or beautiful literature in general, as a means of literary expression in bound or unbound forms. Poetry is a difficult language to define, but nevertheless attempts to define itself in terms of being "an artistically sensitive and rhythmic expression of the human spirit." Poetry also has long been a popular element of wedding feasts, fairs, and other public celebrations where crowds of eager fans encourage poets to perform. There are several common metrical forms. The most popular is the iambic fifteen-syllable couplet, but a poet can write poems using eight-syllables, six-syllables, or even nine-syllables.
One of them is called tsiattista (poet-singer). The best tsiattista is sharp and articulate, with good musical knowledge and a rich vocabulary. A successful tsiattistae (poet-singer) exhibits ready wit, an appreciation for poetry and music, a rich vocabulary, and an active imagination. The poets have usually been modestly-educated men who transmit their works only orally; these days, the poets are usually old men, though talented female poets are now also performing.
Over the centuries, impromptu poetry competitions have been organized at local festivals in many Mediterranean islands. These competitions combine oral impromptu performances with live shows and musical performances. Many of these traditions are slowly disappearing from these islands.
To preserve this tradition, nowadays, tsiattista competitions are held by various municipalities in Cyrus, including the Lamaka Municipality, mainly during the annual Fair of Kataklysmos, but also on other occasions and throughout Cyprus (Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO 2011). It is required that poetry contestants must be well-versed in the Greek Cypriot dialect, be aware of popular poetry from Cyprus, possess sufficient knowledge of existing, well-known Tsiattista, and be able to improvise a new couplet in a very limited amount of time, as well as respond to their opponents.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/tsiattista-poetic-duelling-00536) (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/867427) (https://books.google.co.id/books?id=XXCfDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA147&lpg=PA147&dq=tsiattista&source=bl&ots=R7sMvr4Wpl&sig=ACfU3U0nIvM6ONXbwcUE6Z2V0Szi8z5E-w&hl=id&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjH-sXv_-X3AhWtldgFHdF9C1gQ6AF6BAgzEAM#v=onepage&q=tsiattista&f=false)