Podcasts by Category

Lovers of Rebetika

Lovers of Rebetika

Lovers of Rebetika

This podcast will delve into the world of Rebetika, each week your host Con Kalamaras will have a new episode covering this genre. Rebetiko is story telling spanning love, loss, drugs, and heart-breaking refugee tales. Rebetiko has always been the music of the poor and the dispossessed, combining different musical styles of the region and with lyrics describing the joy, the sorrow, and the difficulties of everyday life. Become a patron of this podcast www.patreon.com/ConKalamaras

46 - Lovers of Rebetika - Giorgos Kavouras
0:00 / 0:00
1x
  • 46 - Lovers of Rebetika - Giorgos Kavouras

    Multi-talented musician and one of the best rebetiko singers. Of Italian nationality, he came from a musical family which came to Piraeus in 1918. In 1922 he settled in Drapetsona, where his father, who played the violin, opened a musical instrument manufacturing workshop.

    With the insistence of Vangelis Papazoglou and Stellakis Perpiniadis, he appeared on stage as a singer in 1934 and in 1935 recorded his first album with "Seretis " by Iakovos Montanaris. Kostas Skarvelis chose him as his main singer and entrusted him with 48 of the approximately 70 songs that Giorgos Kavouras recorded in his discography Giorgos Kavouras died on February 20, 1943, after suffering a stroke while playing in the shop of his friend Stellakis Perpiniadis in Chaidari.

    Support this podcast by becoming a patron https://www.patreon.com/ConKalamaras

    Tue, 12 Sep 2023 - 13min
  • 45 - Lovers of Rebetika - The violinist Alexis Zoumbas

    Alexis Zoumbas was a Greek folk violinist who gained recognition for his recordings in the early 20th century. He is particularly known for his contributions to the Greek and Balkan music traditions, as well as his influence on American folk music.

    Zoumbas was born in the early 1880s in the region of Epirus, which is now part of Greece. He emigrated to the United States in the early 1900s, like many Greeks seeking better economic opportunities. In the United States, he continued to play and record his music, which featured a unique blend of Greek, Balkan, and American folk elements. His recordings often showcased his virtuosic violin playing.

    While not widely recognized during his lifetime, Alexis Zoumbas' recordings have gained attention and appreciation among folk music enthusiasts and collectors over the years. His music has been influential in the revival of traditional Greek and Balkan music and has also left a mark on American folk music.

    Zoumbas' recordings are considered valuable cultural artifacts, preserving a snapshot of the musical traditions of his time and the cross-cultural influences that shaped his music.

    Tue, 05 Sep 2023 - 15min
  • 44 - Lovers of Rebetika - Instrumental Gems

    This week we once again focus on instrumental rare Rebetiko Gems. Delving into some works from Lukianos Cavadias, Alexis Zoumbas & Manolis Hiotis.

    If you like these podcasts why not become a patron.

    https://www.patreon.com/ConKalamaras

    Wed, 30 Aug 2023 - 14min
  • 43 - Lovers of Rebetika - Instrumental pieces

    The bouzouki was apparently not particularly well-known among the refugees from Asia Minor, but had been known by that name in Greece since at least 1835, from which year a drawing by the Danish artist Martinus Rørbye has survived. It is a view of the studio of the Athenian luthier Leonidas Gailas (Λεωνίδας Γάϊλας), whom the artist describes as Fabricatore di Bossuchi. The drawing clearly shows a number of bouzouki-like instruments. Despite this evidence, we still know nothing of the early history of the instrument's association with what came to be called rebetiko Recent research has however uncovered a number of hitherto unknown references to the instrument during the 19th and early 20th centuries, including evidence of its established presence in the Peloponnese. Become a patron of this podcast www.patreon.com/ConKalamaras

    Tue, 18 Jul 2023 - 14min
  • 42 - Lovers of Rebetika - Lost in time

    Delving into the world of rare recordings from the 1920's, and one of the oldest recordings of the bouzouki!

    Tue, 11 Jul 2023 - 13min
Show More Episodes