Rebetiko concert in London

‘Anathema se thalassa’ (A curse on the sea) is a touring concert of Greek songs designed by ethnomusicologist Ed Emery and performed by SOAS Rebetiko Band.

The title comes from a powerful song composed by Vassilis Tsitsanis (1915-84), about the perils of sea-faring on the North African coast.

The songs, drawn mainly from the Rebetiko tradition of Greek ‘urban
blues’, look at the relationship between the Greeks and the sea. A millennial epic relationship that extends back to Homer and beyond, and encompasses all of the world’s seas.

Ethnomusicologist Ed Emery said the songs to be performed at the concert range from the tragic to the lyrical and humorous.

Emery said that while the works include shipwrecks, sponge fishing, cannabis smuggling, political exile, migration, love and loss, and the little simple pleasures of boating, they will also necessarily deal with the works in the context of current refugee escape and immigration by sea, adding: “The sea plays a big role in my family too. We were Greek. We were tobacco traders and producers in Moscow and Georgia. Then came the Russian Revolution. My grandfather’s business was nationalized. In Sukhum, the family was relocated to a small flat. My mother remembers a small room with a piano and a Pekingese, but the house had no carpet because it was stolen by the commissioner. Finally, my grandfather managed to find a sea captain to take the family to Istanbul. From there they travelled with thousands of other refugees living in Pella, just outside Thessaloniki.”

Nikolaos Palamidas, one of the musicians who will perform at the concert, said that his paternal grandfather was born in Smyrna (İzmir) with his five siblings.

Palamidas continued: ”In 1922, their parents unfortunately died in the ‘fire of Smyrna’. But luckily, the children managed to escape from Turkey with the help of their grandmother. They left by boat and arrived as refugees in the Greek mainland port city of Volos. As I understand it, my grandfather (who died before I was born) also loved Rebetiko music, and thanks to this music, I can connect with my family’s roots.”

Musician Loukas Drougkas said that some of his great-grandparents were refugees from Asia Minor and Pontus. “My mother’s side is from Izmir and Istanbul, and my father is from Meten, which is now called Akdağmadeni, in Pontus. They all left everything they had behind and came to mainland Greece and started their lives from scratch in Volos and Thessaloniki.”

The musicians who will perform at the concert are: Mario Christofi [guitar and oud], Loukas Drougkas [guitar], Ed Emery [vocals and baglama], Chris Jones [buzuki], Nikolaos Palamidas [buzuki], Lisa Rowe [vocals, accordion and violin] , Andrew Theodorou [buzuki], Katerina Topali [vocals], Hannah van den Brul [violin].

The guest artists are Suna Alan [vocals], Ahmet Ozan Baysal [saz baglama], Anita Munson [clarinet].

Pre-booked tickets for the ‘Anathema se thalassa’ (A curse on the sea) Rebetiko concert, which will take place on Monday, 14 February at 7.30 pm at The Mildmay Club, 34 Newington Green, Stoke Newington, London, N16 9PR are available at https://mildmay.club/

Proceeds from the concert will be donated to the charity Care4Calais.

Event link: https://fb.me/e/17E8N3aLN