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 network in which the Greek-speaking urban popular song participates, constantly conversing with its co-tenants, is 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”.

One of these fascinating networks concerns the Spanish world, which, through a variety of paths, meets the Greek one. A key chapter in this influence was the unparalleled international success achieved by a Spanish estudiantina in 1878 in Paris. Following its success, the band toured countless locations around the world. According to the sources, on February 28, 1886, the Spanish estudiantina gave a concert in Constantinople (Istanbul) and on April 26 and 29, 1886, in Athens (for the first Greek estudiantina, see Ordoulidis, 2021a: 88–100 and Ordoulidis, 2021b). The Spanish students mainstream the culture of semi-professional music bands, the culture of the banduria, the mandolin, the guitar, the “tuna”, that is, the street serenades, and the habanera. The latter follows a path that starts from the Afro-Cuban repertoires and ends up being appropriated by Greek musicians, finding its place even in the form of the manes (see, for example, the Smyrneiko minore (Smyrnaean minor), Gramophone 12574b). The network of the theater is a key environment for the circulation of music; and the relationship between the two (music-theater) is more than dynamic. The appropriation by Greek musicians is twofold: on the one hand are the lyrics, which are now in Greek (often, in fact, they have nothing to do with the original ones), and, on the other hand, the performance practices: different instrumentation, different singing style, often differences in melodic and rhythmic forms and in the harmonies. Greek musicians adapt what they hear to their own condition, based on their own capabilities. In 1894, when the play of the then most popular zarzuela “La Gran Vía” was played for the first time, a new path that led to the appearance of the Athenian revue opened. Spanish songs started being adapted into Greek since then. These songs arrived at the Greek-speaking world either directly or indirectly, through other repertoire networks. In any case, the circulation of musics is already a reality before the 20th century with theatrical and musical performances tours, but also with the networks of music publishing houses. Discography was not only embedded in this context, but played a key role in its transformation.

It is an adaptation with Greek lyrics of the Spanish song Granadinas: "Adiós Granada" from the zarzuela "Emigrantes", set to music by Tomás Barrera - Rafael Calleja and libretto by Pablo Cases. It was staged for the first time on July 15, 1905 at the Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid.

The first recording of the song took place, according to Allan Kelly's database, in the same year in Madrid by Sr. Gandía, with the composer himself conducting the orchestra on behalf of the record label Gramophone (5623o - 62439).

It was also probably released in Barcelona, in 1905, on a piano roll by the labels Rollos Best (number 3030) and Rollos Princesa (number 2288).

Recordings of the song, apart from Spanish historical discography (see, for example, here and here), can also be found in Italian, such as that of Enzo de Muro Lomanto, and there is also a recording of the song for the Romanian label Electrocord by the Armenian singer Girag Sakizlian (Գիրագ Սաքըզլյան).

In Greek historical discography, it was recorded by Michalis Thomakos, Kostis Stellakis (present recording) and Tetos Dimitriadis.

Re-release from the record Pathé X-80.086, which has also been uploaded for research purposes.

Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis