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This recording includes a musical tune that appears five times in Greek-speaking discography, in one instrumental and four vocal performances, with different lyrics:
– “Manaki mou”, Angelos Stamos, Chicago, 1924 or 1925 (Greek Record Company 1013 – B-523).
– “Manaki mou”, Konstantinos Mavros (vocals and violin), Manos Zervelis (cimbalom), Markos (oud or banjo), USA, 1927 (Panhellenion 8077).
– “Manaki”, Marika Papagkika, New York, June 1926 (Columbia USA W 205374 – 56033-F; reissued by Columbia UK 11506).
– “Manaki mou”, Popular Orchestra – Kostas Gkantinis (clarinet), USA, 1947 (Standard F-9083-A).
This latter melody also forms the basis of the song “Tora ta pairno”, recorded by Giorgos Katsaros (Theologitis) in Camden, New Jersey, on May 18, 1928 (Victor CVE 45054 – V-58016-A).
We also note that there are other recordings bearing the title “Manaki mou”. However, these are based on different melodic material, which is combined with another melody that is emblematic of the Greek-language repertoire, namely that of “Vournovalios manes”. This combination appears at least twelve times in the historical discography, in various versions and variations, both musical and lyrical, under the titles “Zeibekikos”, “Athina kai Peiraia mou”, “Manaki mou” and “Ela st’ Anapli”.
Panagiotis Kounadis mentions about the song (2010, 1: 31):
"It is one of the oldest traditional rebetiko songs of Asia Minor, which refers to the period of independent couplets with usually varied themes.
The first verses of this song are found as the conclusion to the poem 'Paramythi' by the Cypriot poet Tefkros Anthias, which is in the poetry collection 'Ta sfyrigmata tou aliti' (The whistles of the hobo, 1937)".
In 2008, the San Francisco-based string quartet Kronos Quartet, impressed by the voice of Marika Papagkika, commissioned Greek composer Giorgos Koumentakis to write a work inspired by her voice and recordings (see here for the timeline of the work's creation). "Point of No Return", which was presented in its world premiere by the famous quartet at the Pallas theater in Athens, on October 20, 2008, was based on Papagkika's interpretations of "Smyrnaiiko minore" and "Manaki mou" (watch here the live performance by the DissonArt ensemble on July 6, 2010 at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation).
This recording includes a musical tune that appears five times in Greek-speaking discography, in one instrumental and four vocal performances, with different lyrics:
– “Manaki mou”, Angelos Stamos, Chicago, 1924 or 1925 (Greek Record Company 1013 – B-523).
– “Manaki mou”, Konstantinos Mavros (vocals and violin), Manos Zervelis (cimbalom), Markos (oud or banjo), USA, 1927 (Panhellenion 8077).
– “Manaki”, Marika Papagkika, New York, June 1926 (Columbia USA W 205374 – 56033-F; reissued by Columbia UK 11506).
– “Manaki mou”, Popular Orchestra – Kostas Gkantinis (clarinet), USA, 1947 (Standard F-9083-A).
This latter melody also forms the basis of the song “Tora ta pairno”, recorded by Giorgos Katsaros (Theologitis) in Camden, New Jersey, on May 18, 1928 (Victor CVE 45054 – V-58016-A).
We also note that there are other recordings bearing the title “Manaki mou”. However, these are based on different melodic material, which is combined with another melody that is emblematic of the Greek-language repertoire, namely that of “Vournovalios manes”. This combination appears at least twelve times in the historical discography, in various versions and variations, both musical and lyrical, under the titles “Zeibekikos”, “Athina kai Peiraia mou”, “Manaki mou” and “Ela st’ Anapli”.
Panagiotis Kounadis mentions about the song (2010, 1: 31):
"It is one of the oldest traditional rebetiko songs of Asia Minor, which refers to the period of independent couplets with usually varied themes.
The first verses of this song are found as the conclusion to the poem 'Paramythi' by the Cypriot poet Tefkros Anthias, which is in the poetry collection 'Ta sfyrigmata tou aliti' (The whistles of the hobo, 1937)".
In 2008, the San Francisco-based string quartet Kronos Quartet, impressed by the voice of Marika Papagkika, commissioned Greek composer Giorgos Koumentakis to write a work inspired by her voice and recordings (see here for the timeline of the work's creation). "Point of No Return", which was presented in its world premiere by the famous quartet at the Pallas theater in Athens, on October 20, 2008, was based on Papagkika's interpretations of "Smyrnaiiko minore" and "Manaki mou" (watch here the live performance by the DissonArt ensemble on July 6, 2010 at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation).
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