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”.

Τhe song “Ti se melei esenane” is one of the most popular songs in the Greek repertoire. A detailed presentation of the series of recordings can be found in Aristomenis Kalyviotis' book Ta tragoudia tis Smyrnis 2 (The songs of Smyrna 2, 2023: 285 – 297), in which fourty six performances have been recorded between 1926 and 2009, eight of them in 78rpm discography.  For example:

– "Ti se melei esenane", Giorgos Vidalis, Odeon Gο 278 – GA 1153 – A 154256, Athens, 1926.
– "Ti se melei esenane", Marika Papagkika, Columbia W 205569 – 56061-F, New York, April 1927, present recording.
– "Ti se melei esenane", Kostas Karipis, 5419ar – V-50202, Athens, 1927.
– "Ti se melei esenane", Antonis Ntalgkas, His Master's Voice BF 1812-1 – AO 279, Athens, June 22, 1928.
– "Kordelio", Kostas Karipis, Edison Bell SA111 – 1016A, Athens, September 1929.
– "Ti se melei esenane apo pouthe eimai ego", Angeliki Karagianni, Balkan Records No 820-B, America, around 1948.

In the Balkan Records performance, the introduction of the song is different from its older recordings.

We note that Panagiotis Tountas uses the music of the introduction of the song "Ti se melei esenane" in the song "Aeroplano tha paro" (Odeon GO 1942 – 31032B, Athens, 1933), for which he also borrows the musical theme from the beginning of the lyrics of "Telegrafin tellerine". It is impressive how Tountas uses and arranges popular and wandering tunes, often taking small forms and structuring, based on them, new compositions.

The tune, however, interacts with the Turkish-speaking Armenian repertoire that was recorded in the US. Specifically, in the 1940s, the Armenian Mary Vartanian recorded in New York the song "Hojan aman Ojan" (Hojan Aman Hojan, Kaliphon D-723-B) in Turkish.

Τhe song is also found in the American Jazz repertoire. In 1945 the Slim Gaillard Quartet recorded it in Hollywood, in Greek, as "Tee Say Mallee" (Atomic A-231-1). Based on his own accounts, around 1928, when he was twelve years old, the American Jazz composer, singer and musician (piano, guitar, vibraphone, saxophone) Slim Gaillard (Bulee Gaillard, 1916-1991) was left in Crete, where he probably heard the song in question (for more about Galliard see Fontas Trousas' article in Lifo magazine here).

Another live recording of “Tee Say Mallee” has been found. It comes from Galliard's performances at Billy Berg's Jazz Club in Hollywood, circa June 1946. Galliard (vocals, piano, guitar) is accompanied by Tiny "Bam" Brown, on the bass, and Leo Watson, on the drums (see for example the CD "Slim Galliard and His Friends – The Absolute Voutest! '46", Hep Records - HEP CD 28, which released in 1998).

In America, where this recording took place, “national” repertoires live a new, parallel life. This situation is not static and, to a large extent, is molded by discography, which attends to and “tunes” the overlapping relationships that have already developed in the “Old World”. Repertoires communicate with each other once again; a familiar and already dynamic condition in Europe. The circulation of musicians is already a reality before the 20th century with theatrical and musical performances tours, but also with the networks of music publishing houses. Discography is not only embedded in this context, but also plays a key role in its transformation. This time, the network is adjusted in a programmatic manner, under new terms and via new paths.

Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis