“Lovers of Rebetika,” a new podcast series launched by longtime fan, musician and events producer Con Kalamaras, delves into the world of one of Greece’s most culturally important musical genres.
Often called the “Greek blues,” rebetiko grew out of a specific urban subculture in the early 20th century and reflected the harsh realities of an oppressed societal group’s lifestyle.
Rebetiko is storytelling including love, loss, drugs and heart-breaking refugee tales. Rebetiko has always been the music of the poor and the dispossessed, combining different musical styles and with lyrics describing the joy, sorrow and difficulties of everyday life.
“This podcast series is aimed for people who are new to this genre and a little curious,” Kalamaras tells The Pappas Post. “My approach is more conversational and informal. I didn’t want to bombard people with academic speech but instead keep it short and sweet with some examples of songs.”