The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

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GoogaMooga
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The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby GoogaMooga » 20 May 2022, 14:10

How do we feel about the Greek Bouzouki music? We all know "Zorba". And Mikis Theodorakis looms large, even today. I've got a whole bunch by him (too much overlap). The Danish tourists return from their holidays in the Aegean with those CD's, and somehow they end up in thrift for 50 pence. Now I am playing another composer, Michalis Terzis, all very deft and nimble finger-pickin', but a whole CD's worth, I am not so sure. Bouzouki is alright if you are eating at a Greek restaurant, but in the comfort of your own home? It all gets a bit tiresome.

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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby Jimbly » 20 May 2022, 20:17

The Bouzouki was absorbed into Irish folk music in the 60/70's. Donal Lunny was the most prominent player through Planxty, The Bothy Band, Moving Hearts and as a hired hand for Kate Bush, M and many more.
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby fange » 22 May 2022, 06:27

I'm guessing you don't speak Greek, Googs - apologies if you do - which can give you a different appreciation of a lot of Greek music rather than just it's instrumental side.

There are many styles of Greek music, and a mix of those styles can help people avoid that overload of "traditional bouzouki" music, the kind that just sounds like endless rip-offs of 'Zorba'. That can get tiring for people who grew up with it, let alone non-Greeks dunking their toes in those waters.
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby GoogaMooga » 22 May 2022, 10:58

fange wrote:I'm guessing you don't speak Greek, Googs - apologies if you do - which can give you a different appreciation of a lot of Greek music rather than just it's instrumental side.

There are many styles of Greek music, and a mix of those styles can help people avoid that overload of "traditional bouzouki" music, the kind that just sounds like endless rip-offs of 'Zorba'. That can get tiring for people who grew up with it, let alone non-Greeks dunking their toes in those waters.


Apart from the bouzouki I've got Demis Roussos, Aphrodite's Child, Vangelis, and Nana Mouskouri - but that is probably not what you had in mind. Glad that you mention "overload", that's what a whole CD can feel like.
"When the desert comes, people will be sad; just as Cannery Row was sad when all the pilchards were caught and canned and eaten." - John Steinbeck

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WG Kaspar
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby WG Kaspar » 22 May 2022, 21:32

That's definitely made for the tourist audience.
I run out of talent

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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby jimboo » 24 May 2022, 10:50

WG Kaspar wrote:That's definitely made for the tourist audience.



I don't know, after nearly two years of living here I have to say most of it gets on my tits.
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby WG Kaspar » 24 May 2022, 20:53

jimboo wrote:
WG Kaspar wrote:That's definitely made for the tourist audience.



I don't know, after nearly two years of living here I have to say most of it gets on my tits.

You live in Greece?
I run out of talent

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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby jimboo » 25 May 2022, 06:56

WG Kaspar wrote:
jimboo wrote:
WG Kaspar wrote:That's definitely made for the tourist audience.



I don't know, after nearly two years of living here I have to say most of it gets on my tits.

You live in Greece?



Yes chap, Zakynthos.
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby Rorschach » 25 May 2022, 10:18

jimboo wrote:
WG Kaspar wrote:You live in Greece?



Yes chap, Zakynthos.


Oh wow!
I went there on holiday the first year they had direct flights, a looooooong time ago. Loved it. There didn't seem to be a lot of employment opportunity outside of fishing and hospitality. What are you doing there?
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby Neige » 25 May 2022, 10:44

I've asked Theo for some Greek music ages ago, out of nostalgia for the soundtrack of my travels by bus in Crete.

He kindly obliged and the 120+ pop-rock-folk songs he gave me are on my iPod, in a folder called "It's All Greek To Me" and while I wouldn't be able to attribute any track to a name, none of them ever gets skipped.

It's fabulous stuff and yes, there's bouzouki.
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby jimboo » 25 May 2022, 13:09

Rorschach wrote:
jimboo wrote:
WG Kaspar wrote:You live in Greece?



Yes chap, Zakynthos.


Oh wow!
I went there on holiday the first year they had direct flights, a looooooong time ago. Loved it. There didn't seem to be a lot of employment opportunity outside of fishing and hospitality. What are you doing there?


My wife is remotely working for her company in the U.K. There is no realistic chance of full time work for me. Who knows? Life is funny and something might turn up.
Whatever happens my choice was to be relatively poor in the UK or poor in the sun. You only get one life ( I think)
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby WG Kaspar » 25 May 2022, 19:00

It's a good choice and Zakinthos is a great place.
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby Quaco » 14 Jun 2022, 02:34

jimboo, you're living my dream. Getting me thinking.

I have some Greek rock stuff, though not enough.

I have probably too much bouzouki stuff — the father of a friend passed on and about 50 of his Greek albums needed a home, so I took most of them. I like them, but a little goes a long way.
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby fange » 15 Jun 2022, 09:46

Yes, a little goes a long way indeed.
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby fange » 15 Jun 2022, 10:11

Hey quaco and hatzy, as musicians and music lovers i'm interested to hear your thoughts on a piece like this one.

Markos Vamvakaris was one of the most influencial early bouzouki players of the last century. This is a tune from the mid 1930s i believe, called 'Taxim Zebekiko' (Zebekiko is a musical style from the Greek/Turkish region)...



Does this kind of song speak to you at all? (This is a question for everyone too, of course.)
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby WG Kaspar » 16 Jun 2022, 15:07

He's just tuning his bouzouki it seems
I run out of talent

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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby C » 16 Jun 2022, 15:50

Rorschach wrote:
jimboo wrote:
WG Kaspar wrote:You live in Greece?



Yes chap, Zakynthos.


Oh wow!
I went there on holiday the first year they had direct flights
, a looooooong time ago. Loved it.


I was just about to type exactly that!!!


1981....?




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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby Quaco » 16 Jun 2022, 18:32

fange wrote:Hey quaco and hatzy, as musicians and music lovers i'm interested to hear your thoughts on a piece like this one.

Markos Vamvakaris was one of the most influencial early bouzouki players of the last century. This is a tune from the mid 1930s i believe, called 'Taxim Zebekiko' (Zebekiko is a musical style from the Greek/Turkish region)...



Does this kind of song speak to you at all? (This is a question for everyone too, of course.)

I like it a lot! I do tend to respond well to the older stuff, I've noticed. I just realized I have a M. Vamvakaris CD that I used to listen to. I should get it out again. He was a drug addict, wasn't he?
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby GoogaMooga » 16 Jun 2022, 21:25

Quaco wrote: I just realized I have a M. Vamvakaris CD that I used to listen to. I should get it out again. He was a drug addict, wasn't he?


:lol:
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Re: The Magic of the Greek Bouzouki

Postby fange » 16 Jun 2022, 22:03

WG Kaspar wrote:He's just tuning his bouzouki it seems

:D
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