The roots of the Greek recording industry

"I have seen feats of virtuosity at the Elatos which would make a man's fortune on the halls, if not in the Russian Ballet. One heavily built N.C.O. from Missolonghi used, while dancing, to bend over backwards, until his head touched the floor, and the handkerchief which linked him to his neighbour threatened to tear under the strain. Then with his hair full of sawdust he would leap to his feet again. Another specialised in the feat of swallowing a pint of beer from a mug held by his lips alone, while both his thumbs clicked in the air like castanets and he spun round and round on his feet, or bounded into the air. Always while they danced (they) had a curious trick of hissing through their teeth. These, strange as it may seem, were the dances to which Byron gave the name of 'dull Romaic round!"'

(Rodney Gallop, The Traditional Dance, 1935)

Continued here: http://www.bolingo.org/audio/texts/fr133greeks.html

Audio examples:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Archetypal Tsamikos. Song: Papasideris, Clarinet: Anestopoulos

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

“Narration by Alekos Gouveris to Schorelis:

It was 1944. Then we used to begin at noon and worked until 7 in the evening. In the centre used to come black market dealers, other low-life specimens and partizans. The latter not of course to party but for their “contacts”. [Babis] Bakalis which was just a youngster then [he was born in 1919] was in love with a Jewish girl. Things had begun to toughen up. We could see clearly that from one moment to the other they would catch our friend’s girl and they would send her to become soap. And I say “us” because back then whoever messed with our friends girl was like he had messed with out own mother. We thought over the situation and we sent the girl to the mountains. The “contact” took her “up”. She still lives. We saved a life.

In the morning we had met in a Trikala caffenion, the “Black Cat”. During the night I had written the lyrics: “Chorisam’ena deilino”. Apostolos [Kaldaras] and [Babis] Bakalis gave the music, great music. Later [when ? 1945 ? 1946 ?] Tsitsanis heard it, he liked it and gave his own music but the lyrics are mine. Now, why my friend Vasilis hides it is his own business. Witnesses are Kaldaras and Bakalis…“

The only Greek music I have ever heard.

As always, great finds. The clarinet has always appealed to me and I played it for a few years way back when, but the Greek musicians give it an entirely different tone.

Devoirs The Empress