The Evolution Of Greek Music In One Single Video

Contemporary Greek music has a deep history that expands over 100+ years and here I am sharing a video that shows its evolution from the 1910s onwards. This “A Capella compilation” was an idea of the Greek artist Nikolas Raptakis and his friends. It shows how Greek music changed – This compilation includes bits and bobs of many different hit songs after the other.

Watch the video below and have a listen and see how many of them you can recognize! If you read Greek, then the lyrics are written down for you under the video, as well as more explanations. Enjoy!

Click here to watch the video

1910 – 1920 – 1930

Απ? τα πολλ? που μου ‘χει? καμωμ?να

Δε σε θ?λω πια

Δε σε θ?λω πια

Τα παιδι? τη? γειτονι?? σου με πειρ?ζουνε

Τα παιδι? τη? γειτονι?? σου με πειρ?ζουνε

Απ? ξ?νο τ?πο κι απ’ αλαργιν?

Τρ?βα, ρε μ?γκα και αλ?νι

Τρ?βα για το Πασαλιμ?νι

Ζητ?τε να σα? πω τον πρ?το μου καημ?

Τα περασμ?να μου γιν?τια

The journey through the history of Greek music starts with rebetiko and the traditional songs “Δεν σε θ?λω πια” and “Τα παιδι? τη? γειτονι?? σου” which were first recorded in Istanbul and Smyrna. Rebetiko originated from the music of large, mainly coastal cities of Asia Minor, where big Greek communities lived and prospered during the Ottoman era. It is closely related to nightlife entertainment – ouzeries and tavernas. 

In this video, we can hear a part of the song “Μην περ?σει? απ? τη γειτονι? μου” (above in bold).

More info about this music and composer Markos Vamvakaris in the eBook Rebetica

ALL ABOUT GREEK REBETICA MUSIC

 https://masaresi.com/product/rembetika-songs/

1940-50

Ξ?πνα μικρ? μου και ?κουσε

Κ?ποιο μιν?ρε τη? αυγ??

Το πρω? με ξυπν?? με φιλι?

Μου χα?δε?ει? μετ? τα μαλλι?

Τι σ?μερα, τι α?ριο, τι τ?ρα

Α? καθαρ?σουμε μια ?ρα αρχ?τερα

Τι μου τη χ?ρισε? αυτ? την ταμπακι?ρα

Αφο? το θε?, το?τη τη βραδι?

Με βαρι? καρδι? και καημ? μεγ?λο

Another song by Markos Vamvakaris leads us into the 40s, it’s called “Μιν?ρε τη? Αυγ??”. It is followed with “Το Πρω? Με Ξυπν?? Με Φιλι?”, which originally was sung by one of the most important voices of the Greek music, Sofia Vembo. In the 1950s, rebetiko started changing and giving its place to a new-ish genre, la?kó. One of the songs we can listen to here is “Αφο? το Θε?” by Manolis Chiotis and Mairi Linda. Chiotis created the idea of entertainment venues the way people understood them in Greece in the decades to follow. He is also considered one of the best bouzouki players of all times; rumor has it that his fans included Jimi Hendrix and US president Lyndon Johnson!

https://masaresi.com/product/greek-laika-songs-ebook/

ALL ABOUT GREEK LAIKA SONGS AND MUSIC

  Towards the end of the 50s, a new music genre appears in Greece, which is called “entechno” – orchestral music with elements from Greek folk rhythm and melody. The lyrics of the songs are often poems written by Greek poets, to which significant composers like Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hatzidakis are adding music.

ALL ABOUT GREEK ENTECHNA MUSIC, PART 1 (THEODORAKIS AND HATZIDAKIS)

https://masaresi.com/product/greek-entechna-songs-part-1/

1960-1970-1980

Υπομον?, υπομον?, υπομον?ηηη

Τ?σα καλοκα?ρια μου ‘χαν φ?γει απ? τα χ?ρια

Τ?σα καλοκα?ρια που…

Μ?νουμε π?ντα παιδι?

Στην πλ?τη ρ?χνει? τα μαλλι?

φορ?? κορδ?λα βυσσινι?

σε λ?νε το κορ?τσι του Μ?η

Γεια σου, γεια σου, ποιο? σου ?κλεψε α? ξ?ραμε τη χαρ? σου

Στη ντισκοτεκ, στην παλι? ντισκοτ?κ

Ε?ναι που λε?πει? εσ?

Μια ζω? πληρ?νω…

Παλε?ει το ποτ?μι στη θ?λασσα να βγει

Και ο ποιητ?? γυρε?ει τη μο?σα του να βρει

Ααα κρουαζι?ρα θα σε π?ω

Γιατ? σε νοι?ζομαι και σ’ αγαπ?ω

Για δε μ’ αφ?νετε ?συχο

?στε με ?συχο, ?λοι

Τα κορ?τσια ξενυχτ?νε μ’ ?να μυστικ?

Greek cinema bloomed in the 60s and so did Greek music since many movies had music and dance sequences like modern musicals. It is thus no coincidence that this part of the videos starts with “Υπομον?” and “Τ?σα Καλοκα?ρια”, which are both from Greek movies of that time.

ALL ABOUT GREEK ENTECHNA MUSIC, PART 2 (FAMOUS GREEK COMPOSERS AND SINGERS)

https://masaresi.com/product/greek-entechna-songs-part-2/

The music of that era, especially from the 1970s onwards, carries a lot of optimism, enthusiasm and some hippie vibes as the songs “Το Κορ?τσι του Μ?η”, “Ο Πιο Καλ?? Τραγουδιστ??”, “Στη Ντισκοτεκ” and “Τα Κορ?τσια Ξενυχτ?νε” show. Greek music opens up to foreign influences which might also explain why this last song sounds a bit like “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. Speaking of international music, rock music finds its way to Greece towards the late 70s – early 80s.

1990

1992

Ποτ? μου δε σου ε?πα δικ?? σου για π?ντα

Γι’ αυτ? πιε?, σ’ ?τι ε?χαμε ζ?σει μ?χρι χθε?

?μουν στη ζω? σου κ?τι σαν θρησκε?α

Τ?ρα αν φ?γει? θα ‘ναι ιεροσυλ?α

Δυνατ? δυνατ? , γ?νονται ?λα δυνατ? τ’ αδ?νατα

Τι πρ?πει, τι δεν πρ?πει

Στιγμ? δε σκ?φτηκα

Εγ? μ?χρι θαν?του σε ερωτε?τηκα

Μ’ αρ?σει να μη λ?ω πολλ?

Μη λ?ω πολλ?

?κου μ?να, για ?λου? ?χει ο Θε??

Κι ?σω? το δικ? μου ?στρο να ‘ναι κ?που εκε? στο φω?

Μπαμ και κ?τω

The 90s was a very productive decade for the Greek music industry but unlike the previous ones, here it’s tricky to pinpoint a specific music genre! Contemporary la?kó (σ?γχρονο λα?κ?) merged with pop to create la?ko-pop, sung by artists like Kaiti Garbi. Pop itself peaked with artists like Sakis Rouvas, Michalis Rakintzis and Lambis Livieratos, whose songs are considered “cult” nowadays. There is also a strong entekno presence like the song “Dynata Dynata” by Eleftheria Arvanitaki that we can hear in this video and alternative music bands like Ypogia Revmata and Active Member.

2000

Απ?’ αγ?πη υπερβολικ? θα πεθ?νω

Και ?λοι στην ντ?σκο

Ντ?σκο γκερλ

Και υποφ?ρω, υποφ?ρω, υποφ?ρω πολ?

You are the one

My number one

The only treasure I’ve ever had

?λα που δεν μπορ?

Πλ?ον να αντισταθ?

Σ’ αυτ? το Gucci φ?ρεμα που φορ??

Και στο ρυθμ? που απ?ψε βρ?δυ το κορμ? σου κουν??

Κλε?σε τα μ?τια κι ?φησε το μυαλ?

?νοιξ’ τα χ?ρια, πι?σε τον ουραν?

Δ?σε στην τρ?λα σου λιγ?κι απ’ το φω?

Ξ?ρω τι ζητ?ω

Τ?ποτα δε μ?νει πια να με κρατ?ει

Μ?νο αυτ? μετρ?ει

Πι?νω φωτι?

?ταν σ’ ε?χα πρωτοδε? κ?τι στη ζω? μου

ειλικριν? ε?χε παιχτε?

The 00s were marked by the success of artists like Anna Vissi, Antonis Remos, Elena Paprizou, Despina Vandi and Yorgos Mazonakis. Their songs were upbeat with catchy lyrics and on constant replay at local stations and at dance venues where you could listen to mainly Greek music, called ellinádhika. Similar to the rest of the world, it was a big moment for boy and girl-bands like Onirama, Professional Sinnerz and the one-hit-wonder Hi5.

2010

Και μου βγα?νουν π?ντα λ?γοι

? μου βγα?νουνε πολλο?

?λεγε? πω? μ’ αγαπ??

?σπασε η ν?χτα δυο κομμ?τια

Και ?κλεισα σφιχτ? τα δυο μου μ?τια

Δεν ταιρι?ζετε στο λ?ω

Τ?σο αντικειμενικ? στο λ?ω

Κι ?σε τι? φ?λε? σου να λ?νε το αντ?θετο

Ξημερ?ματα δ?νει? δικαι?ματα

Θα πετ?, θα πετ?, θα πετ? για να σε βρω

Κ?ντρα σ’ ?λου? του? αν?μου? και στον ?στατο ουραν?

Θα πετ?, θα πετ?,

μ?τια μου για να σε δω

Interestingly enough, Greek music takes a turn for the more dramatic from 2010 onwards with every artist – from entechno to bouzouki and pop music – singing sad songs about love. Moreover, the era of artists who begin their careers as YouTube sensations arrives in Greece as well. The most well-known example would be Pantelis Pantelidis who started with home-made videos and ended up signing with important local record labels. At the same time, we have the first examples of Greek songs that reach more than 30k views online, like “Mantissa” by Marina Satti.

Nowadays, Greek music is a mix of references from rebetiko and laiko that also borrows elements from various music genres abroad.

Hope you enjoyed this variety of Greek music.

Watch the video again and read/sing along to the lyrics, to practice your listening skills.

Songs are such a fun way to learn new vocabulary as well… and maybe you might be able to recognize a song or two?

And do not forget, write in the comments which song or style you like the most 

Interested to learn more? Click below and explore the world of Greek music. https://masaresi.com/product-category/ebooks-about-greece-and-greek-culture/greek-art-music/

This article first appeared on the masaresi blog at https://masaresi.com/the-evolution-of-greek-music/