Spanish musician and composer Santiago Auserón, also known as Juan Perro, founder of the influential band Radio Futura, has turned his attention to rembetiko, Greece’s urban folk music tradition, with his new project, “Nerantzi.”
Recorded in Athens last autumn, the album blends blues, jazz and Eastern influences with rembetiko melodies and scales. Auserón, whose work has explored the roots of African-American, Latin American and Spanish music, was inspired by hearing rembetiko played in the streets of Athens while researching Mediterranean music.
He is presenting the project on a tour of Spain alongside two Greek musicians he met in Athens: bouzouki player Vangelis Tzeretas, from Samos, and guitarist and singer Theodoros Karellas. Spanish singer Anni B Sweet also joins the group.
The concerts combine Auserón’s original compositions with classic rembetiko songs, including Vassilis Tsitsanis’ “Synnefiasmeni Kyriaki” and Markos Vamvakaris’ “Ta Matoklada Sou Lamboun.” The program also features a Spanish-language adaptation of Mikis Theodorakis’ “An Thimithis t’ Oneiro Mou.”
Following the Spanish tour, which began in October, Auserón hopes to bring “Nerantzi” to Greece next March.
Story via the original publisher. Read the original article
