![]() How does one reconcile the fact that they were seemingly dedicated outsider loners and yet still identified themselves as a group through related dress codes, mannerisms and codes of conduct? Yes, this is a difficult one as they were a very singular and unique ‘group of individuals’, and therein lies the dichotomy of classification. Greeks themselves have difficulty in explaining the meaning of mangas in English. The mangas subculture is attached to rebetiko. Brendan Perry - Song of Disenchant (Music from the Greek Underground). It’s so sad, everyday there seems to be a new conflict resulting from unresolved ancient enmities. The enforced migrations of that period should also serve as a stark reminder of what is still going on today, people being forced to flee their homes because of war and ethnic cleansing. ![]() It was dangerous, yet exciting and you certainly had to have your wits about you if you were to have any street credentials or credibility. Historically speaking I found much that resonated within my own life having spent my youth playing in a punk band and hanging out with people living on the margins of society such as dealers, prostitutes and gang members. ![]() As soon as I read the first English translations of the lyrics, everything fell into place for me and just confirmed my initial impressions. Well initially my understanding came not from social contact, but from album sleeve notes and then from books such as Elias Petropoulos ’Songs of the Greek Underworld’ and Gail Holst ‘Road to Rembetika’. Tell us about your formal introduction to rebetiko. I had no idea what the songs were about initially but that’s the wonderful thing about music, it’s universal ability to convey emotion and sentiment without the need for a text. It was the songs of Roza Eskenazi and Rita Abatzi that eventually drew me in and switched me to Rebetiko. I could immediately hear that this music was born out of a fusion between western and eastern musical traditions, a music of the crossroads if you will. I just loved that exotic mix of oriental refinement with Greek folk roots suffused with bluesy melancholia. What is it that drew you to Rebetiko music? You explained in your album release that you first heard rebetiko in Greek cafes and taverna in 1970’s Melbourne but had not known what it was. Your music, whether it be solo or with Dead Can Dance, is boundless in the culture and time period that it draws its influence from. Greek City Times has spoken with Brendan Perry to find out exactly why an Englishman, who spent large parts of his younger days in New Zealand and Australia, fell in love with rebetiko. ![]() "The fact that there has been virtually no recorded versions of Rebetiko songs sung in English was also a great surprise to me and was ultimately the prime motivator for me to share these songs with an English speaking audience as well as pique the curiosity of the die hard traditionalist." In his album release, Brendan Perry said: However, even if we stray a little from tradition, in fact doing something as radical as replacing the lyrics from Greek to English, requires delicate care and responsibility, and certainly there are not many better suited musicians for this task than British-born Brendan Perry, also known for being one of the two members in Melbourne-founded Dead Can Dance.īrendan Perry has released Songs of Disenchantment (Music from the Greek Underground), which is available to stream and download now. Having its golden years between the 1920s and 1950s, rebetiko is today protected by traditionalists who are ensuring this music style does not stray far from its roots. We romanticize rebetiko as a reflection of the Greek experience of genocide, migration, narcotics, poverty and the daily life of the underclass.
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