Rebetika - Greek Music
Greek Music of the '30s
Rebetika is a tribute to Rosa Eskanazy and Rita Abatzi, two legendary Greek singers from the 1930s. They perform work in the Smyrneïko style, introduced to Greece by refugees from Asia Minor at the beginning of the 20th century. Throw in a bit of Rebetiko, a popular style of music evoking seedy slums and hashish smoke. These urban sounds, heard in the Kafés Aman in Athens, celebrate love and social exclusion. Their show also includes traditional melodies and dancing songs.Gabrielle Bouthillier : vocals and accordeon
* Photos by Amélie Breton
Smyrneika was the Greek cabaret tradition from Smyrna (Izmir), songs born in the Anatolian tavern, or cafe-aman. Intricate melodies and popular sing-along refrains (often reflecting the musical influence of Smyrna's Turkish, Armenian, and Jewish populations), were set to sensual dance rhythms (tsiftetelli, karsilama), and played on the santouri, outi, violi, clarino, doumbeleki, and zilia. The colorful lyrics centered around love (usually unrequited but hopeful), nostalgia (for the lost homeland), and the celebration of life through music and dance. These songs required a combination of superb vocal skills and a flair for entertaining on the part of singers - Antonis Dalgas, Roza Eskenazi, Rita Abadzi, Marika Kanaropoulou, and others - whose virtuosity and artistry still shine through the hiss of surviving 78s. * Kefi is an ebullient mood, an intense state of mind, considered essential for making music.The irrepressible kefi of the Asia Minor refugees resulted in a rich musical legacy, a testament to the indestructible Greek spirit. As Roza Eskinazi wrote: "We sang for the world. Our songs had a genuine, true feeling, full of joy, verve, and artistry."
Rebetika was the heavier "blues" style which developed when Anatolian refugees, finding themselves unwelcome and assimilation difficult, combined musical forces with Athens' lower class. Initially there was much cross-pollination with the Smyrneic genre, but these songs reflected the harsher realities of lives spent forgetting misfortunes through drinking, gambling, womanizing, and smoking hashish. Smyrneic instrumentalists and vocalists joined with, but soon gave way to, the bouzouki, baglama, guitar, and a blunter style of singing. At first shunned by the Athenian bourgeoisie, this music eventually achieved popularity and respect