SOLD-OUT - Thessaloniki blues

Between 1938 and 1948, various professional rebetiko bands were formed in Thessaloniki, mainly under the influence of the best-known Greek performer to date, Vassilis Tsitsanis. The bands breathed new life into the city's nightlife. A growing number of new venues opened during this period, with more tables, a more sophisticated selection of food and drink, sometimes with large stages for musicians, and even a large number of dance floors. The 1940s and early 1950s saw a particular surge in the popularity and popularity of the genre. In addition to the classic trio of buzuki, guitar and baglama, the accordion, violin and tzouras were also added to the orchestras, while the songs retained their outspoken rawness, emotional exuberance and no less political and social overtones. It is no wonder that attempts have been made from time to time to reform, 'fix' or even silence them forever - without success. As a true survivor, rebetiko is sensitive to the past and the present, and its themes are as eternal as those of folk music: sad and happy moments, pain, passion, poverty - all the things that accompany human life. There are still pubs and restaurants in Thessaloniki where you can hear rebetiko live - even compositions from the 1930s! This phenomenon is not part of an exhibition, a cultural monument or a tourist attraction: this music has taken root in Greek culture. It is part of life. It is a feeling of life that never loses its relevance, whatever the voice, whatever the instrument.