Greek Rebetika Songs

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Fragosyriani - Markos Vamvakaris

Markos Vamvakaris sings the song Fragosyriani, a famous Greek song composed and written by Vamvakaris himself. There are many different spellings of the song's title in English: Fragosyriani (which is closer to the Greek spelling Φραγκοσυριανή), Frangosyriani or Fragosiriani. Fragosyriani means Catholic girl from the Greek island of Syros. The song was written in 1935 [...]

Oloi oi rebetes tou ntounia - Markos Vamvakaris

Markos Vamvakaris sings Oloi oi rebetes tou ntounia, a Greek rebetiko song which means "All the rebetes (rebetika players) in the world" in English. The song Oloi oi rebetes tou ntounia is one of the most renowned rebetika songs, composed and written by Vamvakaris himself. Markos Vamvakaris was from the island of Syros, famous for [...]

Kaigomai - Sotiria Leonardou

Sotiria Leonardou sings Kaigomai, a Greek song which means "I am burning". Kaigomai is one of the most known rebetika songs, heard for the first time in the movie Rebetiko, by Kostas Ferris in 1983. The movie Rebetiko refers to a female singer from Smyrna in Asia Minor, born in 1917, only five years before [...]

Misirlou - Glikeria

Glikeria sings Misirlou, one of the most known Greek songs. Misirlou is a name, thus, cannot be translated. Misirlou is an Egyptian woman, a woman from the "magic East", who enchants a man of different religion and culture. This cross religious love is the subject of the song which belongs to several different genres: you [...]

Greek Christmas Carols, rebetiko style

Giannis Kotsiras sings Kalanta Hristougenon, which means "Christmas Carols" in English. The interesting thing about the version we hear here, is that these carols are indeed the traditional Greek Christmas carols sung on Christmas Eve in Greece, but they are presented with a completely different melody, which reminds us of rebetika songs! The Kalanta (Carols) [...]

Sti magemeni Arapia - Glikeria

Glikeria sings Sti magemeni Arapia, a Greek song which means "In the magic Arabia". The song is one of the known rebetika songs, written by the important Greek Composer Giorgos Mitsakis. Rebetika songs have always been dealing with themes related to Arabia, Middle East and their charms. For the Greek Urban society of the mid [...]

Eimai aitos horis ftera - Grigoris Bithikotsis

Grigoris Bithikotsis sings Eimai aitos horis ftera, a popular and highly appreciated Greek song that translates to " I am an Eagle without wings". Grigoris Bithikotsis sings one of the most significant songs in Greek Music, a one of the popular rebetika songs. Eimai aitos horis ftera was one of his greatest hits, and despite [...]

Me paresire to rema - Vassilis Tsitsanis, Haroula Lambraki

The unique Greek composer Vassilis Tsitsanis and Haroula Lambraki, a well known Greek singer, sing Me paresire to rema, a Greek song that means "The stream carried me away". The song is written by Vassilis Tsitsanis himself and is considered one of the most known and popular Rebetika songs, one of the best ever. The [...]

Greek rebetika and rebetiko songs

Greek rebetiko or rebetika songs are the Greek urban laika songs that made their first appearance towards the end of the 19th century and developed to their mostly known form till the third decade of the 20th century. The Rebetiko genre of Greek music was born at the harbors, where the Greek labour class used [...]