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  Rebetiko: The Music Of Izmir and Asia Minor

  Written by Valantis on March 22nd, 2010 in History, I was in Turkey, Living in Turkey, Travel, Turkish Culture1 Comment
  
  Athens, Greece, late 1920s.  The crescent moon hangs over the meyhanes of Athenian ghettos.  They are filled with men smoking their nargile, sipping their coffees and drinking a glass of raki. The small stage in front of them features a small group of bouzouki players, a kanun (santouri) player, accompanied by an oud and dumbek.  A lead singer, female, opens her mouth and delivers the words of pain and sadness, using the makam style of singing, honing in on the traditions of the world they lost in Asia Minor.  This is Rebetiko, also known as the Greek blues. Singers lament...

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