Similar Albums:
- Artist:
Various Artists - Release Date: July 18, 2006
- Type: Collection (various artists), Compilation (best of)
- Genre: World
Review
Thanks to the crazy music fans at JSP in England comes this packed four-disc overview of rembetika, the true music of Greece's underworld. Rembetika has an interesting history. Its origins are not exactly known, and are traced back in various labyrinthine ways to the mid-19th century. In 1911, the word "rembetico" appeared on a record label, and the word was defined as being of "mildly erotic," bohemian content; it was used to describe such records through the mid-'20s. Beginning around 1925, the music's name changed and became associated most specifically with the underworld -- primarily because of music played in brothels, hash dens, prisons, and other generally criminal surroundings. It was raw, immediate, sometimes harsh and bawdy, other times noir-ish and seductive in a sinister way. The music listeners now consider true rembetika came into view after the Greco-Turkish war. It flourished between 1925 and 1937 when it was officially censored as immoral by the Metaxas government. The music lived, however, and went deeply underground; it surfaced again briefly around 1946 before it was once again censored. The instrument rembetika brought to Greece's popular consciousness was the bouzouki, though violins, ouds, hand percussion, and singing were all part of the rembetika experience.The four discs here are organized around various themes. The first concentrates on the music made in the golden years as the material developed into a bona fide recordable style as it came out from under the hard thump of the Ottoman Empire. Singers such as Marika Papagika, Achilleas Poulos, Rita Abadzi, Stellákis Perpiniádhis, and Kostas Karipis are all featured on this slab. Disc two begins in 1932 under censorship; it goes deeply underground and reflects the seamy side of life in the underworld. Here is the place where the bouzouki and baglamas come into prominence (bouzouki has been the featured instrument in Greek music since that time). Here the more popular song is introduced. Most of the performers here are male, and they make an impression with their swirling darkness and tales of lost love, drunkenness, power, violence, and grief. From the start, the bouzouki reigns supreme as Márkos Vamvakáris sings "I Klostirou (The Mill Girl)." Long intricate instrumental patterns dig into the lyric and assert themselves at the tune's nadir. Yiorgos Batis' "I Fylakes Tou Oropou (Oropos Jail)" is another punch in the gut as he sings with rage about his pain and isolation. Vamvakáris and Batis are featured on this disc many times, but one never tires of the music they make. Stellios Keromytis is also here, and his "I Moni Mou Parigoria (My Only Consolation)" is one of the this CD's highlights.
Disc three, entitled Dope, Dice, Guitars, Knives and Such, documents the scene thematically with songs of the underworld along those lines from 1928 to 1946. And some familiar names are here such as Jack Halikias, whose "Raste Tou Deke" was the first true -- albeit underground -- rembetika hit and featured the bouzouki, making many other musicians turn their heads. Also included are fine decadent tunes by George Katsaros, Róza Eskenázi, and Gus Dussas. The final volume in the set showcases the brief popularity -- above ground -- of rembetika. The big names in the scene are here, like Perpiniádhis, Stratos Payoumtzis, Yiannis Papaiouannou, and Apóstolos Hadzichrístos. But this disc is also the place where rembetika virtually disappears and goes back so far underground that it almost -- almost -- ceases to exist. The rawness is here; the sexual allure and tales of the forbidden have gone back into the shadows where they have begun to emerge once more in archival recordings such as these. JSP's documentation of this music is superb. The remastering job from tapes and 78s is exacting, which makes for a warm sound even on the earliest sides. The notes are historical, with a different set for each volume, and the histories of performers, origins of terms and words, and even a pronunciation guide are provided. Like the great blues collections they issue, Rembetika: Greek Music from the Underworld is a treasure trove of the lost, the forgotten, and the dangerous. As stellar and soulful a documentary collection as you'll fine anywhere. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Tracks
CD 1
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Mandelena | Marika Papagika | (3:34) | |
| Chakiji Zeibek | (4:22) | ||
| Tsifte Telli | (3:20) | ||
| Huseini Manes | (3:19) | ||
| Ballos Smyrneikos Me Mane | (3:12) | ||
| Aidhinikos Xoros (Dance from Aydin) | Marika Papagika | (3:44) | |
| Zeimbekiko Melemenio | (3:29) | ||
| Piran Ta Frygana Fotia (The Neighborhood's Ablaze) | (3:00) | ||
| Minore Manes, S'Afino Tin Kali Nychtia | (4:09) | ||
| Sousta Politiki | (3:19) | ||
| Bournovalio | (4:07) | ||
| Melachrinoula (Dark Skinned Girl) | (3:14) | ||
| Rast Zergile | (3:14) | ||
| ZI Markopouliotissa (The Girl from Markopoulo) | Rita Abadzi | (3:13) | |
| Dzerkeza (The Circassian Girl) | Róza Eskenázi | Róza Eskenázi | (3:12) |
| Gazeli Sabach, Sti Mavri Yi Chrosto Kormi (I Owe My Body to the ...) | Róza Eskenázi | (3:27) | |
| San Eyriz' Ap' Tin Pylo (As I Returned from Pulos) | (3:32) | ||
| Mes' To Vathi Skotadhi (In the Deep Darkness) | Róza Eskenázi | Róza Eskenázi | (3:16) |
| O Prezakis (The Junkie) | (3:10) | ||
| Yiovan Tsaous | (3:37) | ||
| Paraponiounde I Manges Mas (Our Manges Are Complaining) | (3:27) | ||
| Ego Thelo Prigipessa (I Want a Princess) | (3:08) |
CD 2
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| I Klostirou (The Mill Girl) | Márkos Vamvakáris | (3:25) | |
| Zeimkekano Spaniolo | Stratos Payioumtzis | (3:30) | |
| Thermastis (The Stoker) | (3:26) | ||
| San Ise Mangas Ke Dais (If You're a Mangas and a Real Hard Nut) | Rita Abadzi, Márkos Vamvakáris | (3:23) | |
| Kapote Imouna Ki' Ego (And I Was Once...) | Márkos Vamvakáris | (3:25) | |
| O Synachis (The Dope Sniffer) | Márkos Vamvakáris | (3:29) | |
| Varka Mou Boyiatismeni (My Painted Boat) | (3:22) | ||
| I Fylakes Tou Oropou (Oropos Jail) | (3:22) | ||
| Prepi Na Xeris Michani (You Gotta Know the Tricks) | Márkos Vamvakáris | (3:09) | |
| Panta Me Glyko Hasisi (Always with Sweet Hashish) | (3:21) | ||
| Hitan Anixi (It Was Springtime) | (3:13) | ||
| Manges Piaste Ta Vouna (Manges, Take to the Hills) | (3:16) | ||
| Pende Manges (Five Manges) | (3:22) | ||
| Soura Ke Mastoura (Drunk and Stoned) | (3:34) | ||
| Taxim Athineiko Ke Zeimbekiko | (3:16) | ||
| Mes' Tou Vavoula Ti Gouva (In Vavoula's Hollow) | (3:19) | ||
| Ouzak-To Tragoudhi Tis Xentias (The Song of Exile) | (3:23) | ||
| I Moni Mou Parigoria (My Only Consolation) | (3:14) | ||
| Ego Mangas Fenomouna (It Shows I Was a Mangas) | (3:27) | ||
| Taxim-Zeimbekiko | Márkos Vamvakáris | (3:09) | |
| Olli I Rembetes Tou Dounia (All the Rembetes in the World) | Márkos Vamvakáris | (3:11) | |
| I Baglamadhes | (3:10) | ||
| Ithela Na' Moun Iraklis (I Wanted to Be Hercules) | (3:57) |
CD 3
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Stis Syras To Aniforo (On the Hill in Syros) | (3:50) | ||
| Tout' I Batsoi Pou' Rthan Tora (Those Cops Who Were Here Just Now) | (4:22) | ||
| Troumba | (4:05) | ||
| O Skylomangas (The Low Down Mangas) | (4:15) | ||
| Me Pianoune Zaladhes (Dizziness Overcomes Me) | (4:20) | ||
| To Minore Tou Deke | (4:06) | ||
| O Paraponiaris (The Grumbler) | (4:08) | ||
| I Efmorfi Attaleia (Beautiful Antalya) | (4:09) | ||
| Echo Meraki Echo Dalga | (4:21) | ||
| To Yellekaki (The Waistcoat) | (3:19) | ||
| Raste Tou Deke | (3:57) | ||
| O Vlamis Tou Psyri | Rita Abadzi | (3:18) | |
| Mas Kynigoun Ton Argile (They're After Our Argile) | Róza Eskenázi | Róza Eskenázi | (3:08) |
| Strive Logia (Leave Out the Bullshit) | (4:05) | ||
| To Flidzani Tou Yianni | Rita Abadzi | (3:13) | |
| Pane Yia To Prasso (They're Going "Dipping") | Rita Abadzi | (2:53) | |
| Ime Prezakias (I'm a Smack-Head) | Róza Eskenázi | (3:25) | |
| Dhervisis Ke Anna (Anna and the Devish) | (3:10) | ||
| To Proi Me Tin Dhrossoula (With the Early Morning Dew) | Vassilis Tsitsánis | (3:16) | |
| Hadzimilousiko [Instrumental] | (3:00) | ||
| Trikouverto [Instrumental] | (2:50) |
CD 4
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| I Margarita | Rita Abadzi | (2:58) | |
| Ola Ta 'Cho Varethi | Vassilis Tsitsánis | (3:26) | |
| Mikroula Pireotissa (The Girl from Piraeus) | (3:07) | ||
| I Magdhalo | (3:08) | ||
| Thelo Na Se Andamoso, Xaveriotissa | (3:13) | ||
| I Mikri Ap' To Passalimani (The Girl from Passalimani) | (3:11) | ||
| Vaggelitsa | (3:02) | ||
| Se Fino Akroyiali (On a Fine Beach) | Vassilis Tsitsánis | (3:23) | |
| Tatavilano (Dance of Tatavla) | Vassilis Tsitsánis | Vassilis Tsitsánis | (3:19) |
| Dhen Tha'rtho Peia Stin Kokkinia (I Won't Come Again to Kokkinia) | (3:13) | ||
| Pali Mou Kanoun Proxenia (Again, They've Offered Me a Bride) | (3:23) | ||
| Paliopedho (That's No Good) | (3:20) | ||
| O Tsiggounis O Babas Sou (Your Old Man, The Miser) | (3:36) | ||
| Vadizo Me Parapono | (3:22) | ||
| Tha Se Klepso Tha Se Paro (I'll Steal You Away) | (2:59) | ||
| I Meraklidhes | Vassilis Tsitsánis | Stratos Payioumtzis, Vassilis Tsitsánis | (3:13) |
| To Portofoli (The Wallet) | Márkos Vamvakáris, |
(3:11) | |
| Opios Orfanepse Mikros (Whoever Is Orphaned Young) | (3:18) | ||
| Manavissa Me Gaidhouraki (The Grocer Girl & Her Donkey) | Márkos Vamvakáris | (3:41) | |
| O Serianis (The Stroller) | (3:08) | ||
| Tis Mastouras O Skopos (The Song of the High) | Vassilis Tsitsánis | (3:15) | |
| Varka Yualo (The Boat Down on the Beach) | Vassilis Tsitsánis | (3:16) | |
| Nea Vaggelitsa | (3:19) |
