At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe was living in peace and prosperity. The "Belle Époque" was an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that were created and which evolved funneled both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It was within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction was invented. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favored polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also releases in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolved dynamically and anisotropically formed 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 had 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”.

In the same period America had already turned into an unprecedented cultural melting pot. It is a microcosm of the globe: a “successful Babel”. Naturally, a unique syncretism also dominates in the field of music. The genesis of discography builds a condition that favors conversation and osmosis between the innumerable ethno-cultural groups that make up the population. These processes will lead to the reinterpretation, updating and renewal of old musical trends that arrive in the United States, and, at the same time, to their re-exportation to the “old worlds”, thus setting up a uniquely multi-layered network. Within this network, already existing tendencies and aesthetic currents are often created or integrated, especially during the period when the phenomenon of sound recording and reproduction takes on commercial, mass and universal dimensions. A typical example is exoticism, as manifested in its various representations. More specifically, the song "Misirlou" reasonable outlines this dialectical, multi-layered relationship between the various "national" repertoires and aesthetic trends and currents.

Exoticism has been found in the European vocabulary since the end of the 16th century, although its widespread prevalence as a trend was associated with the colonial imperialism of the 19th century (Netto, 2015: 13). Since then, the term has incorporated various levels of reading and interpretating anything “Other”. Its meaning concerns, on the one hand, the characteristics of that which is outside the sphere of identity and, on the other hand, the attraction exerted by that which has such characteristics. The widespread acceptance of the phenomenon of exoticism is obvious: the multidimensional linguistic, musical and visual wealth accumulated around and within exoticism created a common stock of knowledge that perpetually feeds the collective and individual imaginary.

Focusing on the modern Greek communities, we find very early established traces of exoticism in poetry and literature, which are quickly transferred to the theater, enriched in terms of their visual and dramatic texture. The explosion of popular forms of spectacle and mass entertainment in the 20th century will radiate their reach. In Greece, among all artistic fields, the most persistent and most obvious presence of exoticism is found in singing. In the era of discography, the advance of exoticism is irresistible and leaves a very strong imprint. However much it seems to be defined by the principle of "locality", exoticism is a global aesthetic constant, a "common" language of the new age strongly marked by modernism and inscribed in a complex and lengthy process of osmosis among "national" musicians, which produces repertoires with "ecumenical" or global characteristics.

The locations represented in exoticism, that is, the East, Latin America, Spain, Hawaii, are par excellence imaginary, disconnected from the real world. They are revealed like a theatrical stage, with alternating scenes, where fantasies are dramatized, overwhelm the senses and release intense emotions, offering the "visitor" an ideal experience, outside the limitations of the conventional world: an eternal feast, pleasures, adventure.

The representation of the East gives the composers the possibility to expand the musical language they use, using new timbres, melodic developments and rhythmic patterns. Of course, this is done in the way in which they themselves perceive a musical material that is not easily accessible to them, neither in breadth nor in depth. A key obstacle is the large gap that separates the mindset of the "musical syntaxes" of the Eastern cultures and the culturally hegemonic Central European example.

The main musical features of the representation of the East are rather standardized: the modal entity of Hitzaz, the use of modes such as the Phrygian and Dorian, and the use of vocal melismas and vocalizations. Regarding the instruments, the representation of the exotic is systematically undertaken by the English horn and the oboe and, at the same time, the percussion is reinforced with tambourines, triangles, cymbals, gongs, etc. Regarding the rhythm, rhythmic patterns are chosen that "presage" one of the most important musical characteristics of exoticism: the bolero, called "oriental", which will define exoticism in Greek discography in the post-war period.

At the center of the Eastern stage (which is always represented as Islamic) stands the palace, synonymous with pleasures and opulence, within which every imaginable intemperance is put into practice. Violent and despotic pashas, maharajas and sheikhs enjoy lavishness while indulging in proverbial laziness. The figure that dominates the ethnoscape of the East is certainly the female, an object of desire. Through a series of roles, almost exclusively leading ones, women embody the mysticism, eroticism and sensuality of the imaginary East. The ultimate symbol of lust, a trademark of the East, is none other than the harem (Lewis, 2004: 12-52). The slavery of the female body contributes decisively to the ethnoscape of the East, bringing the narrator face to face with transcendental acts of heroism. In the East, calendar time is polarized, with the atmosphere almost always described as nocturnal. Darkness is a powerful symbol of escalating emotional tension, as it is synonymous with a metaphysical fog. The desert is an ideal oriental setting, an alternative to the palace. In contrast to the crowd that dwells there, igniting emotions and stirring passions, the static and still world of the desert stands as the refuge or the place of exile of the disillusioned outcast. Far from civilization, outside the time-space stream, strange and dangerous, the desert presents itself as a land of adventure, where daring camel drivers confront their passions.

Misirlou, i.e. the woman who comes from Misiri (that is, Egypt), is undoubtedly one of the most popular examples of exoticism both in global and in Greek-speaking musical reality. 

In the worldwide historical discography, the song was recorded many times in various places, languages and aesthetical frameworks. For example:

– “Misirlou”, Nicolas Matthey and his Oriental Orchestra, New York, 1939 (Decca 66096 A – 25045A)
– “Misirlou”, Seymour Rechtzeit, New York, March 26, 1941 (Victor BS-062891 – V-9085, Victor 25-5047-B & RCA Victor 53-5134), in Yiddish
– “Misirlou”, Jose Morand and his Orchestra, New York, August 25, 1941 (Decca 69677 – 3974-A & 50005)
– “Misirlou”, Woody Herman and his Orchestra, Los Angeles, September 5, 1941 (Decca DLA 2735 – 4024, Decca 25151, Decca 9-25151, MCA MCA-60145)
– “Missirlu”, Jack Mayesh, Los Angeles, November 6, 1941 (Mayesh Phonograph Record Co. A-5781 – 1367 & Electro Vox EV-1367B – 1367), in ladino
– “Misirlou”, G. Del Toro - Alfredo Mendez’s Orchestra, New York, 1945 (Standard T-2002-A – T-2002-A), in Spanish
– “Misirlou”, Charlie Ventura and his Orchestra, New York, September 6, 1946 (National Records NSC162 – 7013B)
– “Miserlou” (تعال لقولك), Anton Abdelahad (انطون عبد الأحد), USA, 1948 (Alkawakeb [اسطوانات الكواكب] KGA 7019A – 102-A), in Arabic
– “Miserlou (מיזערלו)”, Seymour Rechtzeit (vocals) – Abe Ellstein (piano), New York, 1948 (Banner A-392 – B-539 A), in yiddish
– “Misirlou”, Edo Ljubić and his Ensemble, New York, 1949 (Columbia CO 40439 – 1261-F), in Serbo-Croatian
– “Ine orre”, Reuben (Vart) Sarkisian, USA, early 1950s (Sarkisian Record 1508-B), in Armenian
– “Misirlou”, Sloboda Tamburitza Orchestra, USA, 1950s (Kolo Festival KF-804-B – KF-804-B)
– “Misirlou”, Leo Fuld, France, 1950 (Saturne 1504 – 1033), in French

In addition to the present recording, in Greek 78 rpm historical discography, one can find the following performances:
– "Mousourloum", Makis Patrinos, Columbia W206414 – 56270-F, New York, April 1931.
– "Misirlou", Maria Karela and Spyros Stamos, Columbia CO4029 – 7217-F and Columbia 10072, Chicago, 23/10/1941.
– "Misirlou", Tetos Dimitriadis, Orthophonic BS071631 – S572 and Victor 26-8019, 26-8348, New York, 14/1/1942.
– "Misirlou", Tetos Dimitriadis, Standard F9006, USA, 1946 (?).
– "Misirlou", Joann Fardy, Metropolitan 193-A, USA, 1946.
– "Misirlou", Sofia Vempo, Liberty 78, New York, 1947 (?).
– "Misirlou", instrumental song, accordion solo: K. Maniatis, Standard F9044, USA, 25/10/1947.
– "Misirlou", Tzimis Makoulis, Odeon GO4183 – GA7519, Athens, 1949.
– "Misirlou", Danai Stratigopoulou, Columbia CG2557 – DG6797, Athens, September-December 1949.

In 1962, it was covered by the American band Dick Dale & His Del-Tones (Deltone Records 4939) and used in the soundtrack of the film “Pulp Fiction” (1994), directed by Quentin Tarantino. It has since gained widespread popularity and has been covered many times around the world and in a variety of musical genres (see examples here, here and here). The covers are mostly instrumental, but without depriving Misirlou of its exotic character. In 2005, the American band Black Eyed Peas used a sample of this performance for the recording of the commercially successful "Pump it" (A&M Records - 0602498505649), thus renewing the song's popularity.

The trilingual version of the musical score with the Greek, English and French lyrics of the song is another strong indicator of its popularity.

Research and text: George Evangelou, Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis