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RESEARCHING
REBETIKO: PRESENT PROJECTS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
Island of Hydra – 16-19 October 2003
PROGRAMME
Please Note: Most of the sessions will
take place in the Melina Mercouri Hall on the harbourside. But other venues
will also be used [see below].
The following order of
speakers may be subject to change.
Flexibility is the order of the day!
Registration for the
Conference
Thursday Afternoon Session – Fine Art School – 3.00pm to 4.30pm
MADELYN TAYLOR of California will hold a mixed dance
workshop on “Zeibekiko: Up Close and Personal ”. This is a warm-up for
the main session on Friday.
Thursday Evening Session –
Melina Mercouri Hall – 7.00pm to 9.00pm
GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND
WELCOME [Ed Emery]
RUTH MARGRAFF and NIKOS BRISCO from New York will perform and talk about
the Greek music inspiration in their working-class operas Judges 19: Black
Lung Exhaling and Café Andartes.
Showing of the film “ON
A MOONLESS NIGHT” [“Νύχτωσε
χωρις φεγγάρι”
– English version]. The director, LUC BONGRAND, will give a short talk about
the making of the film.
Evening Session – Various restaurants – 9.00pm till whenever
Following the wishes of last year’s
conferees, there is no single venue for music-making this evening. At some
point IVI DERMANCI will arrive, after a long day’s travel, and there might be an
informal session, at some venue yet to be announced, on “The
Women’s Voice in Rebetiko”. This will be a warm-up for the main session on Friday.
FRIDAY
17 OCTOBER
MADELYN TAYLOR of California will present a small paper on
“Zeibekiko: Up Close and Personal ” [In English] [Summary below]
YANNIS ZAIMAKIS of the University of Thrace:
"The world of the tekke in pre-war Heracleion: Symbolisms and rituals".
[In Greek] [English summary
provided]
MARIA KOTSIRI of Athens will talk about the
politiki laouto, and will present a few songs with the instrument.
Friday Lunchtime Session – Fine Art School– 2.30pm 4.00pm
IVI DERMANCI of Istanbul will
lead a women’s singing workshop on “The Women’s Voice in Rebetiko”. [Songs: Psaropoula; To
Yelelaki and Hariklaki.]
Friday Afternoon Session –
Melina Mercouri Hall – 4.30pm to 6.00pm
KRINI KAFIRIS of Athens: “Towards a
Filmography of Rebetiko” [In English]
ED EMERY of the Institute of
Rebetology, London: "In Memoriam Elias
Petropoulos: Les Juifs de Salonique” [In English] [Summary below]
HANK BRADLEY of Seattle: A
talk on “The Violin in Rebetika”. [In English] [Summary below] [Full paper]
Friday Early Evening Session –
Amalour Bar – 6.15 pm to 7.00pm
Showing of the film “THE HYDRA REBETIKO GATHERING
[2001-2002]”,
with the director EMILIO DELLA CHIESA.
MARKOS
DRAGOUMIS of Athens: A mini-concert of his own arrangements of rebetiko
songs.
JASON MELISSINOS of Athens: A Karaghiozis
shadow puppet performance. [With live
musical accompaniment.] To be held at the Bratsera Hotel.
Friday Evening Session – “To Steki” Restaurant – 9.00pm till late
An
evening session at the “To Steki” restaurant. Musicians will include members of
PALIO PAREA from Holland.
SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER
Saturday Morning Session –
Melina Mercouri Hall – 9.45am to 10.30am
SINGING REHEARSAL… Bright and early… for women singers who wish
to sing at the Saturday evening concert…
Saturday Morning Session –
Melina Mercouri Hall – 10.45am to 1.00pm
NADIA MINTILOGLITI of London: "Rembetisses and non-rembetisses: the image of the
rembetissa now and then" [In English] [Summary below]
DIMITRA LASPIA of Edinburgh: a paper on "Dancing the
'Zeibekiko': Men in Performances of Vulnerability and Hegemony". [In
English] [Summary below]
ANDREAS TSEKOURAS
of Athens.
Invited to speak on "The History and Culture of the Zeibekiko” [In English] [Still
to be confirmed]
ROUND TABLE discussion about
Greek dance, and Zeibekiko in particular.
Saturday Lunchtime Session – Fine Art School – 2.00pm to 4.00pm
MADELYN TAYLOR of California will hold a mixed dance
workshop on “Zeibekiko: Up Close and Personal ”
Saturday
Afternoon Session 4.00pm to 6.00pm
ALI FUAT AYDIN
and CENK GÜRAY of Izmir and
Ankara. Will speak on: "The Role of the Women’s Voice in the
Smyrneika songs” [In English] [Summary below]
KYRIAKOS
GOUVENTAS of Thessaloniki and HANK BRADLEY of Seattle: Will
hold a workshop session on “The Violin in Rebetiko”
Saturday Early
Evening Session 7.30pm to 9.00pm
FRANCESCO
GANASSIN and ROBERTO TOMBESI of the Italian musical group CALICANTO: a
musical presentation on the theme of “Grekesca,
Moresca and Dance: musical relations between Venice and Greece”.
Featuring our
famous REBETIKO SUPPER AND CONCERT at the Douskos
Restaurant [“Xeri Elia”] from 9.30 till late.
Our performers will be:
Kyriakos Gouventas – violin
Yiannis Alexandris – outi, baglama, singer
Lela Papadopoulou – accordeon and singer
Antigone Bouna – guitar, baglama, singer
Vaso Dimitriou – bouzouki
Irene Lasithiotaki – guitar
Also performing will be
our guests from Turkey
Ivi Dermanci – singer
Ali Fuat Aydin and Cenk Güray –
baglamadhes
Cengiz Onural – politiki lyra
and from Hydra
Sophia Kabadaï, Irene Daskalaki and
Paschalia Latra
Sunday Morning Session –
Melina Mercouri Hall – 9.45am to 1.00pm
PAVLOS MELAS
of moosootoo.com: "Mapping Rebetiko: A discussion on the
potential uses of an online database on Rebetiko” [In Greek and English]
[An early start
because Pavlos has to catch a plane back to London]
MARK DRAGOUMIS of the Centre for Asia Minor Studies,
Athens: "Vamvakaris’s ‘Politissa’. A rebetiko rooted in a folk song of
the 1830s " [In English] [Summary below]
CLOSING SESSION summing up the events of
this year, and looking forward to the events of next year.
Sunday Afternoon Session –
Harbourside bars – 3.00pm onwards
This will be followed by an
afternoon JAM SESSION at the Harbourside.
We hope to have participation
of musicians from MOOSOOTOO and the REBETIKO FORUM
Then FAREWELL TILL
NEXT TIME. Our next conference will be held
on the island of Hydra on the weekend of 14-17 October 2004.
The topic for that conference
will be “MODES
AND ROADS, TAXIMIA AND MAQAMS” Please spread the word to all who may be interested.
To join our Mailing List send
an e-mail to rebetology@yahoo.com
MONDAY 20
OCTOBER
For those who are interested, there will be a Monday night session in a club in
either Piraeus or Athens. Details to be announced.
SUMMARIES OF PAPERS
At 11.x.03 the following summaries have
been received.
[ Listed in alphabetical order
of speakers ]
Dancing the "Zeibekiko": Men in Performances of Vulnerability
and Hegemony
by Dimitra Laspia
SUMMARY: The 'zeibekiko' is a Greek, solo, male dance. It is
performed to the tune of rebetika songs. The rebetika are songs speaking about
pain, sorrow, homesickness, separation, bereavement, death, and unrequited
love.
The
zeibekiko through the moves of its performers' bodies comes to reveal these
men's vulnerability. It reveals the vulnerability of men overall, one could
argue, as the zeibekiko is a male dance. However, this exposure of the
performers' most private insecurities and worries does not make them look any
less manly. The revelation of their deepest fears and agonies earns them a
hegemonic grandeur.
I
claim that the zeibekiko is a dance that enables us to transgress the limits of
conventional theorising on 'dominant masculinity'. The example challenges the
existence of most of the personality features associated with the latter
notion, like powerfulness, aggressiveness, assertiveness, the willingness and
ability to control and exercise authority over others. What we are dealing with
here, I show, are confessional performances of deep sorrow and acts of
admittance of the performers' defencelessness.
But
it is precisely because of the public display of the dancers' vulnerability, I
further argue, that performances become acts demonstrative of courage and
bravery. They unmask the psychical strength of each dancer. They are acts of
'hegemony' – of the hegemony of the male, zeibekiko dancers – of the hegemony
of men.
I
demonstrate, with references to the history of the dance and to the culture
that it has come to be associated with, how open-to-new-interpretations the
notions of 'hegemony' and 'hegemonic masculinity' are.
Web-page: http://www.geocities.com/ladimi
********************
“The
Role of the Women’s Voice in Smyrneika Songs”
by Ali Fuat AYDIN, Cenk GÜRAY
SUMMARY: In this paper we
will make an historical introduction and identify the differences of Smyrna (cafe-aman)
and Piraeus styles of Rebetika music. Then we will touch upon the woman
characters and their role in the Smyrna school. At the same time the place of
the woman voice in Turkish Music – since Smyrneika is directly related with
Ottoman period Turkish Music – will also be examined, especially non-muslim
woman voice, under the religious effects. The paper will continue by
investigating the characteristics of Ottoman period entertainment music and
especially "kanto" type of that music. In the result the effects of
Smyrneika songs and thus the woman voice in Smyrneika songs on the Rebetika
music of mainland Greece after the "population exchange" between
Greece and Turkey will also be examined.
Website: http://www.geocities.com/alifuataydin
[Paper
presented in English, with musical illustrations]
********************
“ The Origins of Markos
Vamvakaris’s ‘Politissa’ ”
by Markos F. Dragoumis
SUMMARY:
The so-called rebetiko (words and music) derives from
various sources. Yet it gradually developed
a special profile.
In
comparison with “dimotiki” (Greek folk-song) it shares more or less the same
scales (rather modes or ēchoi), but differs in other respects. Usually the
melody of a rebetiko comprises a larger number of meters and a more complicated
modal surface. The tracking down of demotiki melodies that were transformed
into rebetika is necessary for the student of the rebetiko who wishes to study
the history of its origins. My paper will deal with this matter, showing how
Vamvakaris transformed into a rebetiko a song that was popular among the Greeks
at least from the early 19th
century.
Τel & Fax: (210) 3251364
E-mail: mlamerlie@yahoo.com
Site: www.mla.gr
[Paper presented in English
with musical illustrations]
********************
“ Rembetisses and non-rembetisses. The image of rembetissa now and then “
by Nadia Mintilogliti
SUMMARY: Introduction: music has no borders. Who and what were
the “rembetisses”? The “known” ones – reference to “sung” rebetisses. What
general characteristics and elements compose the general image and attitude of
a rebetissa and non-rembetissa? (Everyday life…) Different “social-classes'”in
relation to rembetisses and non-rebetisses. Why this “relation” takes place.
Reference to E. Petropoulos' Rebetologhia and the “woman-rembetissa
section”. What were the general socio-political situations, and how did they
affect the “development'”of rembetisses. Reference to some songs about women
and rebetisses (eg “derbederissa'”, “paksimadokleftra” etc). Reference to
Thalia Spyridakh' s article “Woman in Men's Eyes”. Who are todays
“rembetisses”? How is the term “rembetissa” understood and used today. Why are
we still using the term?
********************
"In Memoriam Elias Petropoulos: Les Juifs de Salonique…”
by Ed Emery
SUMMARY: Elias Petropoulos died in Paris in September 2003.
His legacy is examined. Particularly in relation to the history of the Jews of Thessaloniki
and their deportation to the Nazi death camps in 1943. Greek attitudes to Jews
are examined through the lens of Karaghiozis shadow theatre. The roots of
Karaghiozis in medieval Cairo. Sociological impact of the post-Katastrofi
immigration on the Jewish city of Thessaloniki. The story, still to be told, of
two Jewish rebetiko singers from Thessaloniki, Foufou and Korina Kapon.
Ed Emery
E-mail: rebetology@yahoo.com
********************
"Zeybekiko
– up close and personal"
by
Madelyn Taylor
SUMMARY: The Zeybekiko, a unique Greek dance form,
is recognized as the major dance within Rebetika. This paper will trace a few
of the existing theories regarding the history of this dance, will look at some
of the ways it has evolved, and will speak about its performance today. It will
suggest areas for further research.
The context for performing this dance has certain
boundaries, within which the dancer improvises step patterns, according to
his/her mood and emotions in that moment. The key to this dance is
internalizing the distinctive Zeybekiko rhythm (9/8 or 9/4). Next in importance
is the melody of the song chosen to dance to. The words of a particular song
may or may not be important to the dancer, although much information about the
Rebetika movement comes to us from the language of its songs, from slang to
poetry.
The tempo of a particular musical piece is variable,
and will influence the mood of the music and dance presentation. When a
reciprocal relationship is established between the dancer and musicians, a
unique flow of energy may be felt by everyone within the dance space, and by
others observing. A few other notable
factors, which influence the mood of the entire dance presentation, are kefi
(joy) and parea (camaraderie).
The emotional state of the dancer may or may not shift during the
execution of his/her dance. In past times, as recent as the 1980’s, clapping
the rhythm was encouraged, while applause was considered taboo.
Other issues, which will be explored are: methods of
teaching Zeybekiko, improvisation, styling for gender, extensions of the body,
and etiquette. In order to speak about these ideas, a few terms and definitions
from the field of Ethnochoreology will be used.
Oral interviews were conducted with persons known to
the presenter as dancers of Zeybekiko. Answers to questions about the
psychological and emotional side of dancing Zeybekiko were central to the
research for this paper, and will be included.
Email: madelyntaylor@hotmail.com
********************
“The Violin in Rebetiko”
by Hank Bradley
SUMMARY: At the Hydra concert last year, I asked Mr. Gouventas
how he learned to play, and found that he did study the violin formally. However, I didn't have the brains to pursue
the next step: how he acquired the gracings and movements particular to the
traditional music of Greece and Asia Minor.
Through the pores, I suspect, a result of immersion in such music for
some decades. (In Bulgaria, my kaval
teacher Lyuben Dossev showed a little of how this immersion works for fanatic
learners, which we certainly were. We'd
have a radio going whatever else we were doing, and when some particularly good
singer came on we stopped everything and fastened all attention on the vocal
lines – wherein lie all those lovely ornaments that the instrumentalists build
into their playing).
I've been acquainted since about 1970 with the violin
music of all the countries lying north of Greece, and see Mr. Gouventas as a
part of a wider pattern. All the
Communist governments of eastern Europe tried to ensure that students with
musical talent had a chance at systematic music studies, and the best of those
entered the various national conservatories and became cultural ornaments. And a feature of some of these fearsomely
proficient musicians was a dual repertoire – the 'Western canon' plus a dressed-up
collection of their national music.
Aleksandr Aranicki and Vlastimir Pavlovic of Serbia,
and Aleksandru Tsitrus of Romania are a few examples of such ‘national’ players, and my Bosnian
friend Slavko Silic in San Francisco who in the course of his education became
a serious violinist as well. Much
against the will of his professor, he made pocket money by acting as studio
musician at Radio Sarajevo, accompanying various Bosnian folk singers on their
recordings after school. I think
that Kyriakos Gouventas could be part
of this tradition. I'd venture that he
is better rewarded playing Greek weddings and festivals than as an orchestra
member, too. But now I’m speculating –
I know very little about his career, and it would be better for all of us for
me to just stop writing, and hope to hear him once again in person.
E-mail: hankbradley@uswest.net
[Note: HB was under pre-conference pressure,
so I have hi-jacked this note from an e-mail that he sent me. The full paper is
available at www.geocities.com/HydraGathering/bradley2003.html.
EE]
+++++++++++
[Due to changes of circumstances, Debbora
Berlinger, Pavlos Doukanaris, Nearchos Georgiadis and Nikos
Kotaridis will not be presenting papers this year.]
Posted 11.x.03
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