Odeon Richmond will host a first-ever event to showcase Rebetiko music in honour of Greek Independence Day, March 25, 1821.
The event “Rebetes – A Brief History” presented by LAIKON, will feature performances by Greek Australian musicians who have long celebrated this vital part of Hellenic culture, on Saturday, March 29, at 7pm.
Peter Stathopoulos will present and play original 78 rpm vinyl recordings of some of the most influential musicians, known as the “Rebetes,” who played a key role in shaping the Rebetiko genre.
The Rebetiko Trio-Achilles Yiangoulli, Sotirios Kiokpasoglou, and Tony Iliou-will perform a rich selection of Rebetiko songs.
Rebetiko music, a genre of Greek urban folk music, emerged in the 19th century, with the term “Rebetiko” first appearing on two gramophone records between 1910 and 1913.
The earliest recorded Rebetiko sounds, known as Mourmourika, were captured in Athens in 1834 at the Medrese prison.
In the 1960s, the term “Rebetiko” became widely used, encompassing various styles like Smyrnaika, Politika, and Mourmourika, which, despite differing musical characteristics, were grouped together.
Rebetiko’s themes often touch on love, drugs, prison, the underworld, defiance of authority, and social issues. In 2017, Rebetiko was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
