The Greek island of Syros casts the spotlight on the rebetiko, widely described as the Greek blues, with the 10th edition of its annual rebetiko festival which kicks off this week.
The “10th Rebetiko Festival: The Syra of Markos Vamvakaris” brings concerts, master classes, workshops, a musical instrument exhibition, and a dance showcase to Syros, home of the father of the rebetiko, Markos Vamvakaris.
Running from August 26 to 30, this year’s festival explores the transition from the rebetiko to the laiko genre, the broader popular music tradition that emerged in the postwar period.
The five-day event features one of the country’s most popular performers: George Dalaras, who will bring the festival to a close on Sunday, August 30, with the show “Rebetiko” at Miaouli Square. Dalaras has spent more than five decades studying and performing rebetiko standards. He will be joined by Vassilis Korakakis, Anatoli Margiola and Aspasia Stratigou.
The festival opens on Wednesday evening at the Tarsanas shipyard with singer Sofia Papazoglou, who will present “Rosa, Stella and Marika: Our Own Foreigners“, a tribute to three iconic female rebetika performers: Rosa Eskenazi, Stella Haskil and Marika Ninou.
Other acts include the Vangelis Trigas ensemble as well as Kostas Doumouliakas and Nikos Tatasopoulos. Their August 28 program will explore the transition from the rebetiko to the laiko genre through songs from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
On Thursday, August 27, a group of young musicians, Talili Noomba, will perform classic prewar and postwar rebetika at 9 p.m. on the Vrontados Steps, outside the historic taverna “Tou Tembeli”.
Festival events will take place across Ermoupolis and Ano Syros, at the Syros Cultural Center, the Tarsanas (shipyard), the Vrontados Steps, and Miaouli Square.
With deep roots in Greece’s urban working-class culture, the rebetiko evolved into a unique expression of social, cultural and artistic identity. The Greek musical genre was inscribed in 2017 on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. The Syros festival seeks to highlight not only the history of the genre but also its continuing evolution and influence on Greek popular music.
Events kick off on Wednesday, August 26. All events are free of charge, but early arrival (at least 15 minutes before start time) is recommended. Concerts begin at 9 p.m.
Registered in the Directory of European Festivals and awarded the EFFE Label, the Syros Rebetiko Festival is organized by the Municipality of Syros-Ermoupolis and the Cyclades Chamber.
