Márkos Vamvakáris

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Been listening to the Bouzouki Pioneer: 1932-1940 collection of his rembetika songs and love it to bits.

Anyone else heard this?

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Friday, 21 May 2004 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)

That's the Rounder collection? Yep, I've got that - it's astonishingly great. I'd have to pop it on again to offer up more substantial thoughts; haven't listened in a year or two. I recall some amazing instrumental dexterity.

― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 21 May 2004 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Glad you like it. I find the whole concept of rembetika especially fascinating, given that it implied the mixing of politically disparate cultures. But these guys didn't care about politics. They smoked hashish and played this beautiful music. :-)

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Friday, 21 May 2004 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Is the Vamvakaris really straight-up rembetika, though? I seem to recall it really emphasized the ensemble interplay and instrumental improvisation element - perhaps a more urbane hybrid? I don't recall it sounding like some of the real sparse recordings of rembetika I have. I need to listen to all of this stuff again.

― Broheems (diamond), Friday, 21 May 2004 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, it's like his own vision of rembetika. But it IS rembetika.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Friday, 21 May 2004 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

three weeks pass...

Still playing this obsessively. The intro song, "Karadouzeni," is just so pretty and playful that it's been on indefinite repeat in my room lately.

I can understand that his voice isn't exactly smooth and beautiful, and the dynamics of the song structures aren't immediately apparent, so this is not for everyone.

― Salvador Saca (Mr. Xolotl), Monday, 14 June 2004 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never gotten into much rembetika (the vintage stuff, anyway). Later Greek popular music, yes. Maybe I will make good on my threat to start buying Greek music.

― Rockist Scientist, Monday, 14 June 2004 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

eighteen years pass...

Does anyone know the source of the tracks on this upcoming compilation?

https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/markos-vamvakaris/death-is-bitter

I don't have any of his stuff on vinyl and I'm intrigued by this, but all of the compilations I have of his work, including the Rounder collection mentioned above, list the song titles in Greek.

― Paul Ponzi, Sunday, 2 October 2022 20:21 (three years ago)

don't know if this is of any use to you, but I tried to match the English titles to the original Greek titles I could find:

A1 We were smoking one evening >> Efoumaram’ ena vrady
A2 Hash-smoking Mortissa >> Mortissa hasiklou
A3 Bitch, you made me waste away >> Skyla m’ekanes kai liono
A4 The spinner >> I klostirou
A5 Arap zebekiko >> Arap zeibekiko (zeimpekiko)
A6 The butcher side >> O chasapis
B7 Sefo taxim >> Taxim serf
B8 Your Arabian eyes >> Ta matia sou t’Arapika
B9 My woman’s jealous >> Ziliara
B10 In the dark last night >> Htes to vrady sto skotadi
B11 Markos from Syros >> O Markos o Syrianos
B12 Death is bitter >> Pireotikos manes (Einai pikros o thanatos)

if you need the titles in Greek script, you could enter the Latinized Greek titles in Google Translate. should work in most cases.

― big movers, hot steppers + long shaker intros (breastcrawl), Sunday, 2 October 2022 22:07 (three years ago)

That's actually super helpful, thank you!

I've already convinced myself to buy this record, but I'm still gonna cross reference with the material I already own

― Paul Ponzi, Monday, 3 October 2022 00:19 (three years ago)

Are these actually new transfers or is it just a bootleg of tracks from rounder/JSP/etc? Usually sa record company would mention the source of the material but in this case it’s not mentioned at all.

― ian, Monday, 3 October 2022 16:00 (three years ago)

yeah, I was wondering about that too, but for a modern vinyl pressing, the price is right: between $20 and $24 everywhere I've looked. So I'm gonna buy it regardless. There is an 8 page booklet though, so maybe there will be more info in there

― Paul Ponzi, Monday, 3 October 2022 17:21 (three years ago)

Come to think of it, wasn't the Al Wilson LP Mississippi released just a straight CD rip of the bonus disc of this, but with cool rather than revolting cover art?

https://www.discogs.com/release/9012739-Alan-Wilson-The-Blind-Owl

― Paul Ponzi, Monday, 3 October 2022 17:23 (three years ago)

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