Rebetika! Are you familiar? Neither were we. But we've been tipped off to the outcast culture and amazing backstory behind this under-appreciated genre of Greek blues music. This is right up our alley aesthetically and has somehow managed to remain under the radar for far too long. So here's to making rebetika a household name. Or, hey, at least the new popular tab in your local record store's "world music" section (take that, Tropicalia).
To familiarize yourselves, feel free to check out the BBC's wonderful documentary about rebetika with narrator Anthony Quinn, who starred in 1964 film Zorba the Greek. You can pre-order the double LP set or CD at the Third Man store at this link. Enjoy!
Not lookin too healthy these days Alabama Leigh …. Take Care
If you liked that then you are gonna love this …. http://www.electronicbeats.net/feed/stream-8000-historical-afropop-tracks-guinea/ …. Youre Welcome
Great documentary. Along with Third Man Records, I’ve been devouring releases through Mississippi Records. Thru that label Ive been introduced to alot of music; old and new, from around the world. The releases they did of Ian Nagowski’s Carary Records is a must. But Chris being a raconteur of words and music does some great reissue sets that are above par. It really is blues on another level.
I’m in love with this album. It is truly like nothing I have heard before. I have played it daily since it arrived in the post, and hope to have time to watch the film soon. Thanks for broadening my horizons, TMR!
Dear Apple_Blossom and friends.
It will be my pleasure to talk to you, but there are people with far more dedicated knowledge tan me. I may be a professional, or at leas was for 25 consecutive years, but now I serve as a humble fan.
In any case feel free to ask me anything and I ’m sure you will get excited form the richness and quality of Greek underground, or so call, music culture.
Thank you again,
best regards from Athens, Greece.
What a great moment it must be for the Greek members of our community to see this showcased on the TMR label. I really believe that the socially conscious TMR is hella awesome and hope that they will take the time to showcase their African American Releases with a sellabration or discount this month and maybe even a blue room special performance. I would love to see an Ikey release as a tribute this month…ok TMR…get you creative on!
Can’t get over that part about the population exchange and nationality being determined by religion. And yet, the way things are lately, it’s not terribly hard to imagine something like that happening again.
Not to belabor any conversation to extremes when it comes to details and minutia, but my mind was just blown by this fact after visiting that link. “The first time it was used was for the recrords’ tags in order to describe songs that were quite different from each other. Even in the songs that we nowadays name rebetika the words rebetis and rebetika appear for the first time about in 1935.” The first indicator that Urban Music would define itself on its own terms!
Wow Costis the Generous!!! Thanks so much for the perspective and realism. Maybe Third Man Fans will get an interview with you in the news thread. Would you be down for that? Thanks again for the heads up on the Primeval vs. The Rebel heads up!
Rebetika was and for some still is an original underground music movement since the birth of this music, mixture of oriental, byzantine, taxims, greek folk elements and more.
Thing is that the LP “Why The Mountains Are Black: Primeval Greek Village Music” does not contain any of songs like “rebetika” (please check how the word was born http://www.rebetiko.gr/en/index.php). If any of you want more data/help/music please feel free to contact: respowork@yahoo.gr. Thank you