Aeroplano tha paro

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At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe is living in peace and prosperity. The “Belle Époque” is an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that are created and which evolve funnel both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It is within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction is invented. Early record labels send mobile crews literally all over the world to record local musicians. The range of the repertoire is endless. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favors polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also circulations in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolves dynamically and anisotropically, form a complex network of “centers” and “peripheries” in alternating roles setting musical idioms in motion, both literally and figuratively. The networks in which the Greek-speaking musics participate, constantly conversing with their co-tenants, are magnificent. Discography has already provided important tools in understanding the relationships that developed between “national” repertoires. The result of this ongoing research is “Cosmopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography”.

Naturally, in the large urban centers of the Ottoman Empire around the Mediterranean Sea, the “conversations” of the Greek-speakers with their Turkish-speaking Muslim “co-tenants”, the Catholic Greek-speakers, the Armenians, the Sepharadi and Ashkenazi Jews, the Levantine Protestants, and the Europeans and the Americans, were more than intense. Very often, the scope of this network extends to the Balkans, to Eastern and even to a part of Central Europe. Especially regarding relations between Orthodox and Muslims, the relevant evidence demonstrates the musical exchanges between them and elucidate an ecumene where everyone contributed to the great musical “melting-pot”, and where everyone may draw from it, as well as redeposit it, in a new form, with a reformulated text and its meaning, with sometimes clear and sometimes blurred references to its pre-text, until someone else pulls it out again, through the “melting-pot”, so that it becomes clear that there is no end in this recreational and dynamic process where fluidity prevails. A case that comes from this type of repertoire is the song Aeroplano tha paro.

Panagiotis Tountas’ song (Decca GO 1942 – 31032B) uses the music of the introduction of the song "Ti se melei esenane". Moreover, Tountas borrows the musical theme from the beginning of the lyrics of the song "Telegrafin tellerine" (or Telgrafin telleri or teleri).

The oldest recording of this song seems to have been made in Moscow. According to the database that emerged from 
Alan Kelly's research, the following information, most probably with multiple spelling mistakes, was found:

"Telegrafnin Telleri", Zonophone 1366 – X-6-102037, KRIMSKO-TATAR MUZIKANTI, SAMI MEMET OGLU, ABDUREFI MEMET OGLU, APASS SANDICHE, HALIL RAHME, AFUZ RASIM, Moscow, September 8, 1910

In any case, the song was recorded many times in Turkish historical discography, both by Armenian artists and by Muslims. For example:

- "
Telegrafin Telerine, Canto", Columbia 89574-1 – CO 32001-F, Vahan Boyajian, New York, around December 1923
- "
Telegrafin teleri", Victor B 32928 – 78193, Moise Effendi and Smyrna Quartette, New York, June 25, 1925
- "
Telgrafin Telleri", HMV OTB 2278 – AX 2606, Zeki Müren, Constantinople (Istanbul), around the 1940s

On the label of some records, the song is characterized as "kanto". In other words, it is considered part of the repertoire of the kantolar, a term that seems to have been first used by Turkish-speaking Muslims mainly in large urban centers and especially in Constantinople since the time when Italian troupes performed there. Although initially the kantolar were associated only with theatrical music, they soon became autonomous, when the term "kanto" (singular form of kantolar) came to describe any popular and light secular singing forms (
see Pennanen, 2004: 9, O'Connel, 2006: 276, Beşiroğlu & Girgin, 2018: 49).

The song seems to share common ambiences with the scholar work entitled "
Uşşak Peşrev" and composed by the Armenian Tatyos Eñserciyan (Tatyos Efendi, 1858–1913).

The song "Telegrafin tellerine", however, was also recorded with Greek lyrics, in the same form as the Turkish one, nevertheless much later than the previous ones. Specifically, around 1952, Roza Eskenazy recorded the song under the title "Ta koritsia tis Asias zitane pantreia" (Balkan Records 844-B, America). Around 1999, Nikos Saragoudas and Giasemi re-introduced the song under the title "Nikolaki mou", which has since been covered several times.

Research and text: 
Nikos Ordoulidis

Author (Composer):
Lyrics by:
Tountas Panagiotis
Singer(s):
[Vogiatzi] Stella, Nouros Kostas
Orchestra-Performers:
Popular orchestra
Recording date:
08/01/1934
Recording location:
Athens
Language(s):
Greek
Dance / Rhythm:
Syrtos
Publisher:
His Master's Voice
Catalogue number:
AO 2090
Matrix number:
OT 1492-1
Duration:
3:15
Item location:
Kounadis Archive Record Library
Physical description:
10 in. (25 cm)
Source:
Kounadis Archive
ID:
HMV_AO2090_AeroplanoThaParo
Licensing:
cc
Reference link:
Kounadis Archive, "Aeroplano tha paro", 2019, https://vmrebetiko.gr/en/item-en?id=11099
Lyrics:
— Εγώ φεύγω και σ’ αφήνω μια για πάντα, βρ’ αλανιάρη
στην Αμερική θα πάω κάποιον για να βρω
και μαζί του πια θα μείνω που με θέλει να με πάρει
με δολάρια να γλεντάω κι όλο να μεθώ

— Πάψε τα παλιογινάτια, πεισματάρα μου
να χαρείς τα δυο σου μάτια, παιχνιδιάρα μου
ξέρεις τι καπνό φουμάρω και για σένα πως μπορώ
αερόπλανο να πάρω, νά ’ρθω πάλι να σε βρω

— Και με αεροπλάνο αν έρθεις κι όσο γρήγορα να φτάσεις
σ' το ’πα και σ' το ξαναλέγω πως δε σ’ αγαπώ
μόρτη μου, κακό θα πάθεις κι απ’ τη ζήλια σου θα σκάσεις
στην Αμερική θα πάω και θα παντρευτώ

— Βρε, μη μου πατάς τον κάλο, πεισματάρα μου
θα τα μπλέξεις δίχως άλλο, παιχνιδιάρα μου
και μη μου γλιστράς σαν χέλι, αφού ξεύρεις πως μπορώ
με την κάμα μου στο χέρι νά ’ρθω πάλι να σε βρω

— Δε φοβούμαι, βρε μαγκίτη, και θα φύγω απ’ την Αθήνα
στην Αμερική θα πάω, πώς να σου το ειπώ
μέσα στον ουρανοξύστη θα περνάω όλο φίνα
με ουίσκι θα γλεντάω κι όλο θα μεθώ

— Μάθε πως απ’ την Αθήνα, πεισματάρα μου
δεν μπορείς να κάνεις βήμα, παιχνιδιάρα μου
και πως δεν ψηφώ τον Χάρο κι αν μου φύγεις πως μπορώ
αερόπλανο να πάρω, νά ’ρθω πάλι να σε βρω

At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe is living in peace and prosperity. The “Belle Époque” is an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that are created and which evolve funnel both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It is within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction is invented. Early record labels send mobile crews literally all over the world to record local musicians. The range of the repertoire is endless. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favors polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also circulations in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolves dynamically and anisotropically, form a complex network of “centers” and “peripheries” in alternating roles setting musical idioms in motion, both literally and figuratively. The networks in which the Greek-speaking musics participate, constantly conversing with their co-tenants, are magnificent. Discography has already provided important tools in understanding the relationships that developed between “national” repertoires. The result of this ongoing research is “Cosmopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography”.

Naturally, in the large urban centers of the Ottoman Empire around the Mediterranean Sea, the “conversations” of the Greek-speakers with their Turkish-speaking Muslim “co-tenants”, the Catholic Greek-speakers, the Armenians, the Sepharadi and Ashkenazi Jews, the Levantine Protestants, and the Europeans and the Americans, were more than intense. Very often, the scope of this network extends to the Balkans, to Eastern and even to a part of Central Europe. Especially regarding relations between Orthodox and Muslims, the relevant evidence demonstrates the musical exchanges between them and elucidate an ecumene where everyone contributed to the great musical “melting-pot”, and where everyone may draw from it, as well as redeposit it, in a new form, with a reformulated text and its meaning, with sometimes clear and sometimes blurred references to its pre-text, until someone else pulls it out again, through the “melting-pot”, so that it becomes clear that there is no end in this recreational and dynamic process where fluidity prevails. A case that comes from this type of repertoire is the song Aeroplano tha paro.

Panagiotis Tountas’ song (Decca GO 1942 – 31032B) uses the music of the introduction of the song "Ti se melei esenane". Moreover, Tountas borrows the musical theme from the beginning of the lyrics of the song "Telegrafin tellerine" (or Telgrafin telleri or teleri).

The oldest recording of this song seems to have been made in Moscow. According to the database that emerged from 
Alan Kelly's research, the following information, most probably with multiple spelling mistakes, was found:

"Telegrafnin Telleri", Zonophone 1366 – X-6-102037, KRIMSKO-TATAR MUZIKANTI, SAMI MEMET OGLU, ABDUREFI MEMET OGLU, APASS SANDICHE, HALIL RAHME, AFUZ RASIM, Moscow, September 8, 1910

In any case, the song was recorded many times in Turkish historical discography, both by Armenian artists and by Muslims. For example:

- "
Telegrafin Telerine, Canto", Columbia 89574-1 – CO 32001-F, Vahan Boyajian, New York, around December 1923
- "
Telegrafin teleri", Victor B 32928 – 78193, Moise Effendi and Smyrna Quartette, New York, June 25, 1925
- "
Telgrafin Telleri", HMV OTB 2278 – AX 2606, Zeki Müren, Constantinople (Istanbul), around the 1940s

On the label of some records, the song is characterized as "kanto". In other words, it is considered part of the repertoire of the kantolar, a term that seems to have been first used by Turkish-speaking Muslims mainly in large urban centers and especially in Constantinople since the time when Italian troupes performed there. Although initially the kantolar were associated only with theatrical music, they soon became autonomous, when the term "kanto" (singular form of kantolar) came to describe any popular and light secular singing forms (
see Pennanen, 2004: 9, O'Connel, 2006: 276, Beşiroğlu & Girgin, 2018: 49).

The song seems to share common ambiences with the scholar work entitled "
Uşşak Peşrev" and composed by the Armenian Tatyos Eñserciyan (Tatyos Efendi, 1858–1913).

The song "Telegrafin tellerine", however, was also recorded with Greek lyrics, in the same form as the Turkish one, nevertheless much later than the previous ones. Specifically, around 1952, Roza Eskenazy recorded the song under the title "Ta koritsia tis Asias zitane pantreia" (Balkan Records 844-B, America). Around 1999, Nikos Saragoudas and Giasemi re-introduced the song under the title "Nikolaki mou", which has since been covered several times.

Research and text: 
Nikos Ordoulidis

Author (Composer):
Lyrics by:
Tountas Panagiotis
Singer(s):
[Vogiatzi] Stella, Nouros Kostas
Orchestra-Performers:
Popular orchestra
Recording date:
08/01/1934
Recording location:
Athens
Language(s):
Greek
Dance / Rhythm:
Syrtos
Publisher:
His Master's Voice
Catalogue number:
AO 2090
Matrix number:
OT 1492-1
Duration:
3:15
Item location:
Kounadis Archive Record Library
Physical description:
10 in. (25 cm)
Source:
Kounadis Archive
ID:
HMV_AO2090_AeroplanoThaParo
Licensing:
cc
Reference link:
Kounadis Archive, "Aeroplano tha paro", 2019, https://vmrebetiko.gr/en/item-en?id=11099
Lyrics:
— Εγώ φεύγω και σ’ αφήνω μια για πάντα, βρ’ αλανιάρη
στην Αμερική θα πάω κάποιον για να βρω
και μαζί του πια θα μείνω που με θέλει να με πάρει
με δολάρια να γλεντάω κι όλο να μεθώ

— Πάψε τα παλιογινάτια, πεισματάρα μου
να χαρείς τα δυο σου μάτια, παιχνιδιάρα μου
ξέρεις τι καπνό φουμάρω και για σένα πως μπορώ
αερόπλανο να πάρω, νά ’ρθω πάλι να σε βρω

— Και με αεροπλάνο αν έρθεις κι όσο γρήγορα να φτάσεις
σ' το ’πα και σ' το ξαναλέγω πως δε σ’ αγαπώ
μόρτη μου, κακό θα πάθεις κι απ’ τη ζήλια σου θα σκάσεις
στην Αμερική θα πάω και θα παντρευτώ

— Βρε, μη μου πατάς τον κάλο, πεισματάρα μου
θα τα μπλέξεις δίχως άλλο, παιχνιδιάρα μου
και μη μου γλιστράς σαν χέλι, αφού ξεύρεις πως μπορώ
με την κάμα μου στο χέρι νά ’ρθω πάλι να σε βρω

— Δε φοβούμαι, βρε μαγκίτη, και θα φύγω απ’ την Αθήνα
στην Αμερική θα πάω, πώς να σου το ειπώ
μέσα στον ουρανοξύστη θα περνάω όλο φίνα
με ουίσκι θα γλεντάω κι όλο θα μεθώ

— Μάθε πως απ’ την Αθήνα, πεισματάρα μου
δεν μπορείς να κάνεις βήμα, παιχνιδιάρα μου
και πως δεν ψηφώ τον Χάρο κι αν μου φύγεις πως μπορώ
αερόπλανο να πάρω, νά ’ρθω πάλι να σε βρω

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