Rebetika

In 1923-24, over a million and a half Greeks were forced to leave their lands which they settled on for 3000 years. From the hoards of refugees, there emerged a group of musicians that would mark the century forever: the rebetes. Although the endured constant hardships and discrimination, rebetika allowed them to not only record their struggles through the evolution of their music, but to also become enriched by their new challenges and embrace their circumstances with the tragic stoicism for which the Greeks are renowned. Rebetika has been compared to the American blues, the Portuguese fado, and the Spanish flamenco. Music From the Old Greek Underworld is an electrifying story of the anguish of a people uprooted from their ancestral homes. Through innovative musical forms, the songs of these refugees arose from their poverty and suffering, their fruitless dreams, their current and lost loves, and, underlying it all, their spirited and determined will to survive. Though many of the original composers and singers are no longer living, this book captures the soul of their work to pass on and keep alive the tradition of the rebetika for new generations of singers and players.

Giannis Chorbajoglou is a well-known folklorist and musicologist, living in London, England. A musician who is regarded as a master of the bouzouki, he tours Europe and the USA regularly. This is his first book.