Some words before I wellcome you...

from the left: G. Batis, S. Keromytis,

Stratos Payioutzis, Markos Vamvakaris

This blog follows a different path to approach the Greek "subculture" music called "rebetiko". This music is, in a way, equivalent to tango, fado, flamenco, blues. It is the most sincere music ever composed in Greece. It reached its culmination during the 30΄s and it has been faught in all ways from the "establishment".

"Rebetiko" is not only songs played by bouzouki, as most of the people believe. There is a big era, containing thousands of songs created by tremendously talented Greek composers and musicians who were forced to leave their life in Asia Minor and come to Greece as refugees, after a stupid war (1922) against Turkey. Their music is the backbone and the spinal cord of rebetiko but it was forbidden and struggled in 1937.



You, who need to see behind the tourist facade and look for the unexpected in a world tending to look the same all over, let me give you a red thread, as Ariadne did with Theseus when he got into the Labyrinth, and lead you to a fascinating and unknown world. 

Wellcome!

Rebetiko Co.

see http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_130565273677633&notif_t=group_activity

!!!

Hi,


The main part of my writings and music can be seen in 

elkibra-rebetiko.blogspot.com

but unfortunately in Greek. Try it and use the Translation Service

Dear friends,

This post is adressed to all of you who live in different countries and visit this blog. I think I am the only Greek who has started a blog in English for Rebetiko lovers. I mean a blog which tries to go deeper in this era and not only dowload songs or write once more Rebetiko's History. The problem is that I don't know how many of you are Greeks living abroad and how many do not speak Greek.

Please, be kind and comment my writings. You can thus help me to choose the right topics and you would also give me courage to go further..

It is quite difficult to express myself in proper English but I'm really interested to spread out information about this magic music.

Rebetiko has a wide and unknown era, much wider than what I can see being named here and there.

Help me to make our communication more profound. Will you? 

The words meraki and meraklis

You who listen to rebetiko you hear often the words "meraki" and "meraklis". They are two simple but at the same time two complicate and significant meanings.
Take for example the sentence:
he has a big meraki for rebetiko
ehei megalo meraki me to rebetiko
έχει μεγάλο μεράκι με το ρεμπέτικο

Α common explanation could be "he likes rebetiko very much" but it is superficial.
The word is Turkish so you can try http://seslisozluk.com/
Turkish-English lexicon. Write each one word and click on "ara" (search)


If you already did it perhaps you got into a panic as I did...

Now you get another example from my DICTIONARY OF REBETIKO which is going to be published in Greek, during the autumn 2008.

I' m sorry for a bad translation...


meraklis o, -ou, meraklidissa, subst.[+](turkish merakli= a human being who is after the knowledge, is attentive and has an alert state of mind.) 1. somebody who has roots in his tradition, is experienced and attentive and knows, both consciously and perceively the sensible balance among things, human beings and phenomena (ZAHOS) A kind of popular philosopher : "Το γιασεμί στην πόρτα σου, μερακλή (see entry) μου, ήρθα να στο κλαδέψω, σεβνταλή (see entry) μου""εγώ' μαι βρε μιά μερακλού και θέλω μάγκα γιαβουκλού"(see entry)"η μικρή μου γκομενίτσα(see entry), μερακλίδισσα η μουσίτσα(see entry), ήξερε ποιά είν' ωραία (see ωραία) και με ήθελε κουρέα"2. in connection to wishes and abilities. The one who is looking for qualities, even in lifes' simple pleasures, as in making cofee or preparing something which can give satisfaction(in connection to mood and erotic relations) good mood, love sorrow: "όποιος δεν είναι μερακλής να πάει να πεθάνει γιατί στον κόσμο όπου ζει, μόνο τον τόπο πιάνει"( = καταλαμβάνει)3. free use of the word, always in connection to the above named meanings: "και όταν μπαίνω στον τεκέ (see entry) βλέπω τρία μεράκια, τρεις κοπέλλες όμορφες να πίνουν τσιμπουκάκια (see entry)meraklidikos, i, o, adj.[+]: "μερακλίδικο παιδί""παπούτσια μερακλίδικα από τα παλιατζίδικα πήγαινε και κανόνιζε, δυό ζευγαράκια ψώνιζε"meraklono, meraklonomai v.[+]come into good mood, feel nostalgic: "όταν παίζω ταξιμάκι (see entry) μερακλώνω, την πατρίδα μου θυμάμαι κι όλο λειώνω""πάντοτε μερακλώνω γιά τα χειλάκια σου και τα ναζάκια (see entry) σου και τη ζωή μου δίνω""να μερακλωθεί κι ο Χάρος και ν' αρχίσει το χορό"meraklidika, adv.[+]


Less panic though the Greek examples from rebetiko verses?
The coming post "The meaning of consolation in rebetiko" is directly connected to the two words of this post and a deeper "diving" into the heart...

.

What women caused Markos Vamvakaris..

I´m publishing a list of troubles which Markos Vamvakaris got through in his adventures with women... All this is taken from his own song lyrics.

1. they cut him into pieces
2. they were spitfull
3. he spended in vain his youth for them
4. they made known what they did to him
5. they hurted him
6. they made him wonder like if he was crazy
7. they burned him deeply in his heart
8. they grew him weak and sicky
9. they runned away
10. they crashed him
11. they "poisoned" him with sorrows
12. they drove him mad
13. they opressed him
14. they smashed his body
15. they broke his heart
16. they tormented him

and much more...
Ask anybody the following question: "what is rebetiko´s atittude towards women?" I bet you get the following answer from anybody: "rebetiko praised women in hymns; rebetiko loved women excessively"...