― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Sunday, 17 August 2003 20:31 (twenty years ago) link
(i know i always say him but i think his LP on globestyle is fab)
(it's called "yiorgos mangas")
― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 17 August 2003 20:41 (twenty years ago) link
A lot of Anababoula's stuff is too westernized for my taste (or anyway, westernized in the "wrong way" for me). I saw them perform once, as well.
I guess I should list the names of the few performers I know I like (mostly from an EMI sampler I bought):
Haris Alexiou (except the one CD I bought by her had lots of annoying synthesizer sounds, which completely distracted from her singing).
Eleni Vitali.
Nikoletta Mazaraki.
Katerina Papadopoulou.
Giannis Parios.
Katerina Stanisi is okay.
I like male singers too, but don't know the names of the guys with the deep, imposing, voices that appear on my Greek music tapes. They are my role-models for masculinity, however.
I will look into Mourmourika.
― Al Andalous (Al Andalous), Sunday, 17 August 2003 23:22 (twenty years ago) link
― Al Andalous (Al Andalous), Sunday, 17 August 2003 23:25 (twenty years ago) link
I have to say, part of the appeal is the pattern of syllables that would never occur together in English.
― Al Andalous (Al Andalous), Sunday, 17 August 2003 23:27 (twenty years ago) link
― Al Andalous (Al Andalous), Sunday, 17 August 2003 23:59 (twenty years ago) link
― your null fame (yournullfame), Sunday, 17 August 2003 23:59 (twenty years ago) link
I'm only slightly interested in rembetika, but since so many of you here seem most familiar with that end of Greek music, I will mention that Alexiou does an excellent cover of "Ime prezakias" a song sung by Roza Eskenazi (though I don't know if she was the first). Alexiou delivers it in rhythms that are conversational sounding.
What I read in the liner notes of a Greek music compilation is that rembetika is actually a sub-category of laika.
― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Friday, 2 January 2004 01:43 (twenty years ago) link
*Meant in a pretty neutral sense.
― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Friday, 2 January 2004 01:49 (twenty years ago) link
Haris Alexiou: Best OfTa Doueta Tis HaroulasElefteria Arvanitaki: EkpombiGlykeria: Bolta Stin ElladaBest of GlykeriaEleni Vitali: [something]Stelios Kazantzidis: Megalies Epitixies Dekaetia ‘50Megalies Epitixies Dekaetia ‘52-`63Megalies Epitixies Dekaetia ‘60-`70George Dallaras & Marinella: Live Sto Megaro MousikisManolis Angelopoulos: [something]Soula Birbili [composer: Theodorakis]: I Mikres Kiklades
― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Friday, 2 January 2004 01:56 (twenty years ago) link
― joan vich (joan vich), Friday, 2 January 2004 11:57 (twenty years ago) link
what does this stuff sound like? is it accessible (in the broadest sense) if you don't know a word of modern greek? is this a good compilation?
― amateur!st (amateurist), Thursday, 22 April 2004 15:46 (twenty years ago) link
listen to "The Space Victory Theme" by the Space Cossacks and you get the picture.
― eleki-san (eleki-san), Thursday, 22 April 2004 19:51 (twenty years ago) link
― otto, Thursday, 22 April 2004 20:04 (twenty years ago) link
A fair amount of this stuff is going to have chunky, potentially corny-sounding, bass and drums, but I usually find that part acceptable. Also, some cheesy/psychedelic 60s keyboard, but I tend to like that.
― RS_LaRue (RSLaRue), Monday, 16 May 2005 14:51 (nineteen years ago) link
I think this will be the year Greek music breaks (in my head).
― RS, Tuesday, 17 May 2005 14:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― RS, Tuesday, 17 May 2005 14:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― RS, Tuesday, 17 May 2005 14:05 (nineteen years ago) link
http://www.musiccorner.gr/images/mbi/cd_korou.jpg
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Monday, 18 July 2005 21:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Monday, 18 July 2005 21:06 (eighteen years ago) link
Bithikotsis - "Drapetsona":
http://s38.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=19B067CO3EGOE0JIBUOJH80SW9
Kazantzidis Marinela (female) with Stelios Kazantzidis (male):
http://s38.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=06WHAMZBMP50Y1ZGXRMZYOX5P1
Glykeria, performing live:
http://s38.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3BO9ONH09Q1BM06IOZ00HEYNO4
Manoli Angelopoulos cover of Oum Kalthoum's "Inta Omri" (as a much shortened song):
http://s38.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1J8ZCOPD12HT01BXSMIWDJBGBZ
Haris Alexiou doing an old rembetica song, "Ime Prezakias - TsifteTelli":
http://s38.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3MTABHFHJKE6L0T7ISVVEHCR4G
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 19 November 2005 15:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 19 November 2005 15:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― curmudgeon (Steve K), Sunday, 20 November 2005 01:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― xavier mcshane (xave), Sunday, 20 November 2005 03:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 20 November 2005 03:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Saturday, 21 January 2006 23:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 12:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 15:20 (eighteen years ago) link
i got a compilation of traditional music from hpeiros, which i think is tasos halkias, lots of great clarinet (i think his son may be quite famous also)
i also like the rebetica ive heard
― Filey Camp, Thursday, 13 September 2007 21:35 (sixteen years ago) link
Which Eleni Vitali should i pick up first?
I got recommended this
http://www.studio52.gr/info_en.asp?infoID=00000d4l
― Alex in Denver, Tuesday, 20 November 2007 13:49 (sixteen years ago) link
Unfortunately, I am not actually familiar with her work, I just know I like some or all of what I've heard by her. How did you get interested in Eleni Vitali, or were you interested in Greek music generally and someone recommended her?
― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 20 November 2007 14:03 (sixteen years ago) link
I've gradually become more interested in Greek Music recently and this is one of the names that seems to pop up from time to time. There's a few Greek places near where I live so I hear it from time to time in the evening also
― Alex in Denver, Friday, 23 November 2007 10:30 (sixteen years ago) link
I got two volumes in a Greek compilation series from the 60's called 'To Neo Kyma'. It means 'The New Wave' apparently. Think it was some of the earliest Western influenced Greek folk (or psych folk, I guess). Stuff ranges from what sounds like Buffy St Marie singing Light Flight to what I believe is that Arleta track mentioned above. Can't say for sure, as I can't read me no Greek alphabet, no suh.
― Michael Dudikoff presents Action Adventure Theatre, Wednesday, 5 December 2007 23:12 (sixteen years ago) link
I recently got JSP's new 4 - CD box set Vassilis Tsitsanis: The Postwar Years 1946-1954 and it's phenomenal. Tsitsanis wrote so many classic songs, and they're performed here by great singers like Marika Ninou, Prodromos Tsaousakis, Sotiria Bellou and Irina Georgakopoulou. Modern Greek popular music starts here.
― ρεμπετις, Tuesday, 25 August 2009 05:54 (fourteen years ago) link
I just picked up Psarantonis's 2008 album Mountain Rebels (it's on emusic) and it's a trip. He's a lyra player from Crete with an extremely dynamic, emotional singing and playing style, and one of the finest live performers i've ever witnessed... long modal improvisations predominate.
― ρεμπετις, Friday, 11 September 2009 16:50 (fourteen years ago) link
This shop is just round the corner from where I live, and for years I've been meaning to go in, but haven't. This thread made me google them, and it seems it is now shut, for a very sad reason. They are still selling stuff online, though, so thought it might be of interest:
http://www.trehantirimusic.com/index.asp
― Jamie T Smith, Friday, 11 September 2009 17:13 (fourteen years ago) link
Haris Alexiou really looks amazingly beautiful in many of these photos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aypxuDjvmqA
Of course, she has a great voice and is a phenomenal vocalist, not nearly as well known as I think she I ought to be by now in the English speaking world.
― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 5 December 2009 11:58 (fourteen years ago) link
From the same album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUDntQCyGvw
― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 5 December 2009 12:01 (fourteen years ago) link
early rebetiko is where it's at for greek music
― oscar, Saturday, 5 December 2009 21:13 (fourteen years ago) link
Zzzzzzzzzzz. Let's pretend that nothing happened after the 1930s in Greece. No Kazantzidis, no Marinella, no Dalaras, no Haroulas, no Glykeria, no Arvanitaki. None of the major artists since that time that are legends in Greece.
― _Rudipherous_, Sunday, 6 December 2009 00:28 (fourteen years ago) link
I have seen grown men weep when they heard Ola Se Thimizoun played. Rebetiko is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to incredible Greek music - epirotika, kritika, nissiotika, neo kima are all genres worth investigating. I'm not Greek, but I'll take their 20th century musical culture over any other European country.
― ρεμπετις, Sunday, 6 December 2009 00:37 (fourteen years ago) link
I think the main reason people always mention early rebetika is that it's what's been marketed the most in the west (at least recently--I don't know what happened earlier); and the reason for that is probably simply that getting the rights to put that music out is really easy, because of its age.
― _Rudipherous_, Sunday, 6 December 2009 00:39 (fourteen years ago) link
(I have to admit I think Egyptian popular music peaked in the 40s and 50s (or maybe into the early 60s), so I shouldn't rule out of hand the possibility of preferring Greek music of the 1920s and 1930s, but I just don't see it.)
― _Rudipherous_, Sunday, 6 December 2009 01:10 (fourteen years ago) link
Gives me chills:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryZMBpXdpmc
― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 30 January 2010 10:25 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IGvwgNAdrY
― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 30 January 2010 10:34 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47gTFR91324
― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 30 January 2010 10:42 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvmUCQhp9XM
― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 30 January 2010 10:49 (fourteen years ago) link
Annoying amateur video for the last one though. Just ignore image.
― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 30 January 2010 10:51 (fourteen years ago) link
The master, Stelios Kazantzidis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPzs_GRmc0s
& those amazing touches of vocal harmony, one of the things I love about Greek music.
― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 4 February 2010 14:36 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nywAi9F137Q
― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 4 February 2010 14:37 (fourteen years ago) link
Wow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBz46aGcuNk
― _Rudipherous_, Wednesday, 17 February 2010 01:11 (fourteen years ago) link
Actually, this guy's whole channel looks like its worth the time (my time anyway):
http://www.youtube.com/user/xrstavrakis#p/u/0/d4slwJ9wsyU
― _Rudipherous_, Wednesday, 17 February 2010 01:15 (fourteen years ago) link
Making my way through. I recognize this one. Orchestration may be a bit kitsch, but the total package is awesome, imo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U109TNszYmU
― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 18 February 2010 02:43 (fourteen years ago) link
In response to Rudipherous's comment on the Rembetika thread, I'll occasionally post some YouTubes of other genres of Greek music here. Here's some Epirotika, the music of the northwest corner of Greece known as Epirus. Clarinet, violin and laouto are the main instruments, and there's some incredible vocal music as well. This features the biggest star in Epirot music. clarinetist Petroloukas Halkias and his family band (brother on violin, son on second clarinet), playing a Miroloi (lament). As an aside, this is the loudest band I've ever seen live, at the club they run in Athens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNAysHNqgK
― ρεμπετις, Friday, 19 February 2010 03:35 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNAysHNqgK0
― ρεμπετις, Friday, 19 February 2010 03:38 (fourteen years ago) link
Here's Melina Kana doing one of my favorite island songs (nisiotika), "Armenaki", in a 4/4 rhythm called ballos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-hNVZXbqwI
― ρεμπετις, Friday, 19 February 2010 03:54 (fourteen years ago) link
The first one didn't appear (as I guess you noticed) and the second one (which is maybe the first again?) isn't working for me. But that last one is a song I recognize and love, though in a different performance. Possibly something I taped off the radio, or possibly included on a live Glykeria recording I borrowed and copied from a Greek restaurant.
― _Rudipherous_, Friday, 19 February 2010 13:31 (fourteen years ago) link
Yes, the second one is the first again - works fine for me the second time. I don't know a Glykeria version of the song, but it's possible - she sings everything. The version I prefer is by Mariza Koch but haven't located it on the net yet. Nisiotika is a genre that went ballistic when Greek singer Giannis Parios put out a double album of rocked-up traditional island songs in 1982; it's still the biggest selling album in Greece ever. But it's akin to what happened to flamenco guitar when the Gypsy Kings hit - it's hard for the general public to hear the more rustic-sounding stuff now. Anyways, someone else I should mention is the amazing Domna Samiou, the most important conservator of traditional Greek music, Here she is in concert at the Acropolis at age 76: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4g9IKqwmAw
― ρεμπετις, Friday, 19 February 2010 22:52 (fourteen years ago) link
I've never gotten around to posting any Manolis Agellopoulos youtube links, but he's another singer I like, of gypsy ethnicity, who I've read achieved popularity partly for his covers of Arab songs. (I know he covered "Inta Omry," and am blanking on some others I think I've recognized.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-33LAHzYjm4
― _Rudipherous_, Sunday, 21 February 2010 07:38 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sxpYRQQ5HQ
― _Rudipherous_, Sunday, 21 February 2010 09:15 (fourteen years ago) link
Wow Rudipherous and ρεμπετις - we would love to have your knowledge over at the Pop World Cup. Greece just played a draw against South Korea (Greece fielded "Adiaforeis" by Giorgios Mais) which I have to admit didn't win me over despite some phenomenally energetic bouzouki.
The group is wide open though and I have no idea what song the manager (Johan of Birdseed's Tunetown) will choose next. http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2010/02/pop-world-cup-2010-group-b-greece-v-south-korea/
― Tracer Hand, Sunday, 21 February 2010 21:36 (fourteen years ago) link
Hmmn..... That Giorgios Mais track exhibits the major reason for my distaste for the genre of skiladika. With Greek music's rich variety of what they call dromoi, the Turks call maqam and we call (somewhat incompletely) modes, why are the melodies of this genre so often minor in nature and banal and horizontal at that? Nice bouzouki lick, I guess, but it's not in aid of anything.I'll keep an eye on that group though, thanks TH.
― ρεμπετις, Monday, 22 February 2010 01:51 (fourteen years ago) link
Good stuff!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh-ZhtwLzU0
― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 3 February 2011 03:20 (thirteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4yameT1DqQ
― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 3 February 2011 03:23 (thirteen years ago) link
As much as I'm always asking why I haven't dug into Greek music more, I have to admit the answer may simply be that it tends to be a bit depressing, especially in large quantities. Even correspondingly melancholy Arabic music seems to have some sort of push toward ecstasy which I often seems to me to be absent in Greek music.
― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 5 March 2011 18:16 (thirteen years ago) link
I still can't believe someone I used to work with tried to claim that Dalaras was somehow more iconic that Kazantzidis, when I don't even think he was familiar with the latter. Basically a nice guy, but a bit of a know-it-all, who didn't know when he was in over his head.
― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 5 March 2011 18:19 (thirteen years ago) link
This is pretty great (thanks to dow for mentioning in on the Record Store Day thread):
http://longgonesound.com/current-travails/2014/1/18/alexis-zoumbas-a-lament-for-epirus-1926-1928-original-artwork-by-robert-crumb-10-recordings-with-deluxe-gatefold-lp
― cwkiii, Saturday, 19 April 2014 06:14 (ten years ago) link
That is superb, sublime. I play Epirotian music, with the guy in this video, and this Alexis Zoumbas release is some of the finest I've ever heard.http://youtu.be/F9yfNPzuwn4
― ρεμπετις, Saturday, 19 April 2014 17:48 (ten years ago) link
so good
― Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln (nakhchivan), Saturday, 19 April 2014 17:55 (ten years ago) link
Very.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 19 April 2014 18:55 (ten years ago) link
The NYT discovers Epirotika . Actually, this article very vividly describes my own experiences at festivals in Epirus. Contains music links.
― ρεμπετις, Sunday, 28 September 2014 23:05 (nine years ago) link
the zoumbas stuff linked up there is quite something
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Sunday, 28 September 2014 23:15 (nine years ago) link
Okay lets try that again. Article here
― ρεμπετις, Sunday, 28 September 2014 23:19 (nine years ago) link
https://f1.bcbits.com/img/a1176359078_10.jpg
Sorry, off topic but this From Dust to Digital comp from 2013 is worth exploring. 42 tracks so it takes some perseverance but there's some lovely music in there.
https://dusttodigital.bandcamp.com/album/greek-rhapsody-instrumental-music-from-greece-1905-1956
― millmeister, Monday, 29 September 2014 11:12 (nine years ago) link
Okay, so I just clicked on ρεμπετις's link (thank you for sharing) and it appears that my post wasn't entirely off topic. Will give it a read!
― millmeister, Monday, 29 September 2014 11:17 (nine years ago) link
If anyone really wants to delve into Epirotika, this playlist is excellent. Some pretty good dance education too, if one was so inclined. You just have to skip past the videos which are people dancing to canned music.
Epirotika
― ρεμπετις, Friday, 10 October 2014 20:56 (nine years ago) link
This is great (not sure who it is or what sub-category it falls into--I guess laika?):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFi-cTmWicQ
The channel is quite extensive.
― _Rudipherous_, Sunday, 21 February 2016 02:52 (eight years ago) link
some talk on the post-fahey thread about this awesome comp:
https://soundcloud.com/thirdmanrecords/1-02-sousta-rethymniotiki-sousta-dance-of-rethymno
― adam, Sunday, 21 February 2016 02:58 (eight years ago) link
― millmeister, Monday, September 29, 2014 7:12 AM (two years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
So if I've OD'd on most of the Christopher King comps and the Alexis Zoumbas LP, is this a logical next step? I'm really into the demotik Epirus music, but don't really know much rebetika, or much Greek music beyond these recent collections. Does this comp favor one style over another? I definitely dig the darkness / sadness of a lot of the primeval village music, but I'm pretty open to it all. Just wondering if I should add this to my Amazon wishlist so my in-laws can take the hit instead of me! (Christmas is coming)
― Wimmels, Saturday, 3 December 2016 01:41 (seven years ago) link
Kristi Stassinopoulou & Stathis Kalyviotis's NYN, then. Only just caught this via the fRoots list. First cut caught my attention. Not so sure of the album overall though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ylmGzz3Hfw
The beginning makes me think of As Tears Go By. Kristi Stassinopoulou is a good, pleasant singer but doesn't strike me as being on par with the great singers out of Greece. But what are they doing?
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 26 December 2016 18:44 (seven years ago) link
More. Feel like I am waiting for the guitar and/or bouzouk to break out and do a bit more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1czBr45AeZI
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 26 December 2016 19:07 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKBHrZGP2DY
Vintage Greek Hawaiian steel guitar!
― _Rudipherous_, Wednesday, 20 December 2017 05:54 (six years ago) link