Greek Rebetika Music
All images
and text copyright Natasya Katsikaris 2000-2009
Rebetika is the music of the the Greek communities of Asia Minor. After the disastrous war of 1922, many Ottoman Greeks were exiled to the European mainland. Rebetika is the "soul music" of the prosfigakia (refugees). Many of the songs deal with themes of death, exile, drug addiction, and love gone wrong. Although considered disreputable and forced underground, Rebetika influenced popular Greek music much the same way as American Blues influenced Rock n' Roll.
Asia Minor Greek music uses the clarinet, violin, bouzouki, baglama, lauta, tsura, and santouri. Turkish influence adds the use of uti (oud), saz, cumbus, and kanun. Significant in Asia Minor is the use of the 9/8 or 9/4 time signatures. Zebekiko is the "soul" rhythm of Smyrna. Other rythms and dances include Tsiftetelli, Hasapiko, Hasaposerviko, Karsilama (antikristos) and typcial Greek dances such as Ballos, Syrto, and Kalamatiano.
Rebetika Terminology
Amanes: A vocal improvisation (taximi), usually in the beginning of the song. Amanes are often used in Greek Rebetika music, but can be heard in Turkish, Romanes, and even Kurdish music as well. Typical words sung during Rebetika-style amanes would be "aman, medet aman". There is no literal translation for this. It might be equivalent to saying "My God!" but not exactly. Amanes express deep emotions or suffering.
Dromo: The scale or mode in which a song is played. Called Maqam in Arabic or Turkish music Typical dromos for Asia Minor include: Sabah, Hicaz, Hicazkar, and many others.
Kefi: When you have so many emotions you must either sing or dance.
Taximi: A solo improvisation. If played at the beginning of a song, usually with no set rhythm. If played in the middle of a song, the Taximi is played on top of the normal rhthym. Often different members of the band trade-off Taximis, especially the clarinet or violin.
Vari: Deep or heavy (as in soulful)--thanks Rocky!
Some Basic theory for Asia Minor music
Modulation: When a song changes from one Dromo (maqam) to another.
Microtones or Quartertones: Western music is built on half-tones and whole tones. Eastern music makes use of Micro tones. Modern Greek instruments such as the Bouzouki have fixed frets which eliminates the possibility for micro tones. Fretless instruments like the violin, cumbus, and oud can all achieve micro tones easily.
Rhythms of Asia Minor:
Many odd time signatures are used throughout Asia Minor. The 9/8 used for Karsilima dance is the most well-known. The Izmir (Smyrna) area is famous for its Zeybek or Zebekiko. Many nine-beat rhythms are used including various 9/4, 9/8, 18-beat, or even 27-beat time signatures.
5-beat (5/4 or 5/8) and 7-beat time signatures are also used. A popular Greek 7/8 dance is the Kalamaiano.
Even time signatures include Chiftetelli, Ayyub, and various other 2/4, 4/4, 8/8 or 16/8 rhythms.
Complex rhythms like 17 (one measure 8/8 next to one measure 9/8) are also occasionally used in Island music.
Singing Style: The classic women singers of the 1920s and 1930s, like Roza Eskenazi, Rita Abadzi, and Marika Papagika had high, clear, beautiful voices capable of great depth, range, and subtlety. However, many Rebetika singers (similar to American blues) expresses more emotion than subtlety or polished singing style.
Asia Minor Romanes (Gypsies) is characterized by speaking on top of the melody. Exclamations you might hear include "opa" (literally *jump*, no exact translation), or Aman, Aman (also no exact translation)
Rebetika on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20NGp1fYfls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsC9nahBnv8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8nLLqMibc8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxkfrABTzAg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu4mZyOtlIc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CZgYdd5Pvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INPBtBx5TZk&feature=related
Rachel Brice Bellydance Superstar dances to rebetika
Outside links to other Rebetika & Greek music sites:
http://www.spectacularopticals.com/DOM1.html
http://www.spectacularopticals.com/rebetika_index.html
http://www.rebetes.com/
http://www.kithara.vu/
http://www.andreas.gr/skripto/index-en.html
http://www.rembetiko.gr/
http://www.rebetis.com/
http://theory.rockefeller.edu/~giannak/reb.html
http://www.research.umbc.edu/eol/3/magrini/rebetika.htm