On Wednesday, 30 September, at 22:00 Athens time, Maria Stambouloglou joins Stavroula Karali on “Remarkable Personalities” on Voice of Greece. A philologist, she is the author of «Το Ρεμπέτικο Τραγούδι και η Ιστορία του», published by Baltas Editions.
The episode explores the history of music from Asia Minor and rebetiko. It traces the roots, influences and evolution of a musical tradition closely tied to the social and historical changes of the first half of the 20th century. Today, that tradition is part of Greece’s intangible cultural heritage.
The journey begins in the major cities of the East, Smyrna and Constantinople, before moving to the refugee neighborhoods of Athens and Piraeus. After the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the music refugees brought with them met the sounds already heard in Greece, shaping a new musical landscape. Rebetiko also followed Greek immigrants to America, where it developed a presence of its own.
The discussion looks at rebetiko’s ties to social class and life on the margins, the censorship and bans it faced, and the ways its songs captured the social conditions of an era.
The episode highlights the contributions of major artists, from Roza Eskenazy and Rita Abatzi to Markos Vamvakaris, the “patriarch of rebetiko,” and Vasilis Tsitsanis. It also examines the significant role women played in rebetiko’s history.
Produced and presented by Stavroula Karali
Sound editing: Efi Georgopoulou
Broadcast: 30 September 2026, 22:00 Athens time
