“Sound Portraits” presents the first of three episodes devoted to rembetiko.
Titled “Rembetiko: From the musical roots of Asia Minor to Piraeus,” the episode traces rembetiko’s origins in Greece and in the major multicultural cities of Asia Minor. It focuses particularly on Smyrna and Constantinople, where different musical traditions and cultural influences met and interacted.
After the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922, refugees brought their melodies, songs, dances and musical instruments to Greece. Musicians and composers from Asia Minor and Constantinople also played an important role in the development of Greek recorded music.
The first part of this musical journey reaches Piraeus, where the bouzouki and baglamas became increasingly prominent and a new sound began to emerge.
Produced and presented by Stavroula Karali
Sound editing: Giorgos Kostopoulos