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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 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”.
Historical sources underline the close relations between Italian-speaking and Greek-speaking music. The conversations that developed with specific places, such as the Ionian Islands, the Dodecanese and Patras, as well as their results, are enough to highlight the strong ties between the two ethno-cultural groups. Furthermore, relationships were forged in places where the two ethnicities lived together, such as, for example, in the case of cosmopolitan Smyrna (Izmir) in the Ottoman Empire, or that of New York, where Italians and Greeks immigrated. When researching the historical material, it seems that one particular city in the Italian peninsula developed special relations with the large urban centers where Greek-speaking musicians played a leading role: it was Naples, with its famous Canzone Napoletana. “Tiki tiki tak” belongs to a corpus of songs from which the Greek protagonists borrowed music and/or lyrics from pre-existing Neapolitan-speaking songs. In many cases, the appropriations concern not only Neapolitan-speaking songs but the Italian language as a whole, since, often, the original Neapolitan-speaking songs were translated into Italian, from which the loan arose. 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 is not only embedded in this context, but plays a key role in its transformation. 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, are the performance practices: different instrumentation, different singing style, often differences in melodic and rhythmic forms but also in the harmonies. Greek musicians adapt what they hear to their own condition, based on their own capabilities. After all, the mandolins, the guitars, the marches, polyphonic song and the bel canto singing style are characteristics that reveal the influences of the Canzone Napoletana on the Greek-speaking urban popular song. One such case is the song “Tiki tiki tak”.
So far, the following recordings have been found in Greek historical discography:
- “Tik - tak”, Estudiantina Tsanakas, Constantinople (Istanbul), c. 1911 (Orfeon 2023 – 11578)
- “Tik tak”, Petros Zounarakis, Constantinople (Istanbul), probably during the 1910s (American Record 2977)
- “Tik tak”, Petros Zounarakis, Constantinople (Istanbul), probably in 1913 (Favorite 30q -7-59001)
- “Tiki tiki tak - Rebetiko”, Giagkos Psomatianos (Giannis Kalaitzoglou), Constantinople (Istanbul), probably in 1913, (Favorite 45-q - 7-55014), current recording
- “Tik tak”, Giorgos Kanakis – Menelaos Theletridis, New York, November 1919 (Panhellenion 4680 – 7008-B)
The song can also be found on the recording for the shadow play "O Karagkiozis dikigoros", made by Mike Patrinos in New York, in January 1927 (Columbia USA W107524-2 - 7036-F & reprint Columbia UK 7704). More specifically, for the first 25'' of the recording, the tune, along with other lyrics, is used as an accompaniment for the entrance of the character Morfonios.
Finally, in 1967, in Athens, Markos Vamvakaris recorded the song together with Soula Stratou under the title "Tik tak kanei i kardia mou" on a 45 rpm record (RCA Victor 7RCAGR-1987 -48g-2704).
The song, under the title "Tik, tik, tak kamn’ i kardia mou", was published on a musical score in Athens by the publishing house E. G. Stavrolemis "Ai mousai", transcribed by Vasilis Sideris.
As revealed by Franco Fabbri (2019: 82), the song is an adaptation of the Neapolitan song "Questa non si tocca?", set to music by composer Vincenzo Di Chiara and lyrics by Antonio Barbieri. The musical score of the song was included in the publication "La tavola rotonda: giornale artistico, letterario, musicale settimanale, Piedigrotta 1910" which was published in Naples, in 1910, by the Bideri publishing house. According to the above source, the song was presented at the "Tavola Rotonda" contest during the 1910 Piedigrotta festival.
Many thanks to the Biblioteca of Conservatorio di Musica “Domenico Cimarosa” di Avellino, Gianpiero De Luca and Mauro Amato for granting us the permission to post the musical score.
"Piedigrotta" refers to one of the most famous and oldest religious festivals that took place in Naples. During the festival, a music competition took place, which, in the 19th century, turned into a dynamic festival. This festival took the form of a commercial mechanism which played a key role in shaping and promoting Neapolitan song.
So far, only one recording of the Neapolitan song has been found, from May 11, 1916, made in New York, by Amelia Bruno and the King's Orchestra (Victor B-17664 - 67929).
It should be noted that a song under the same title was recorded twice in Greek discography by Ioannis P. Agiasmatzis ("Tiki tiki tak", Constantinople [Istanbul], 1904, Gramophone 417d - 2-12222) and by Petros Zounarakis ("Tiki tikitak", Constantinople [Istanbul], 1906, Odeon C 849 - 1869).
Of particular interest is the fact that songs like this one, which went unnoticed in the place they were created, after being appropriated and re-arranged, obtain a new form in a different place and have a second "life", triggering a new cycle of re-creation. As George Kokkonis mentions (see "Cosmpopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography"), "they constitute a 'snapshot' of transformations which constantly produce new versions of old and 'deterritorialized' works. These do not possess any 'archetypal' essence, but are revealed to us through their new lives, each time within a different context, with real or imaginary references to some recognizable historical, geographical or linguistic imprint. Some of these new lives have greater longevity and are more influential, and then lend themselves particularly to the rhetorics of national identity, which often declare as archetypes all those things that are, par excellence, transformations, ignoring their cosmopolitan nature, and, above all, their universal scope. Songs like 'Karotseris', 'Tik-tak', 'Den se thelo pia' and 'Prigkipessa' are typical examples."
Another equally interesting element is the inscription of the word "Rebetiko" on the label of this recording. Often, in the glossary of rebetophiles, the term "rebetiko" is identified with very specific specifications. Rebetiko has been identified with the city-port of Piraeus, and its emblem is the bouzouki. On the other hand, rebetiko from Smyrna [Izmir] ("Smyrneiko rebetiko") is also often mentioned, either as a categorization of the genre, or as its precursor. And yet, historical discography, that is, the records that began to be produced from the end of the 19th century all over the world with primitive equipment and techniques, reveals a different reality. The research in this archival material of historical discography reveals that the term "rebetiko" began to be printed on the labels of the records around 1912, in Greek recordings that took place in Constantinople (Istanbul). So far, at least 80 recordings that are labeled with the term have been identified. There are two impressive facts: on the one hand, these recordings took place in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. Markos Vamvakaris started recording in Athens in 1933. So, his own recording career cannot be that easily and exclusively identified with the term. On the contrary, the word "rebetiko" began to disappear from labels after 1933. On the other hand, when listening to the musical works labeled as "rebetika", one might be surprised. None of these recordings contain a bouzouki. In addition, a part of the musical works is not oriented towards the East. Overall, the findings so far concern recordings made in Constantinople (Istanbul), Athens, New York and Chicago. It seems that the term was rather an invention of discography, of that early sound industry, whose decisions determined many times the developments regarding this historical repertoire and the way in which it reached us.
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
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”.
Historical sources underline the close relations between Italian-speaking and Greek-speaking music. The conversations that developed with specific places, such as the Ionian Islands, the Dodecanese and Patras, as well as their results, are enough to highlight the strong ties between the two ethno-cultural groups. Furthermore, relationships were forged in places where the two ethnicities lived together, such as, for example, in the case of cosmopolitan Smyrna (Izmir) in the Ottoman Empire, or that of New York, where Italians and Greeks immigrated. When researching the historical material, it seems that one particular city in the Italian peninsula developed special relations with the large urban centers where Greek-speaking musicians played a leading role: it was Naples, with its famous Canzone Napoletana. “Tiki tiki tak” belongs to a corpus of songs from which the Greek protagonists borrowed music and/or lyrics from pre-existing Neapolitan-speaking songs. In many cases, the appropriations concern not only Neapolitan-speaking songs but the Italian language as a whole, since, often, the original Neapolitan-speaking songs were translated into Italian, from which the loan arose. 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 is not only embedded in this context, but plays a key role in its transformation. 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, are the performance practices: different instrumentation, different singing style, often differences in melodic and rhythmic forms but also in the harmonies. Greek musicians adapt what they hear to their own condition, based on their own capabilities. After all, the mandolins, the guitars, the marches, polyphonic song and the bel canto singing style are characteristics that reveal the influences of the Canzone Napoletana on the Greek-speaking urban popular song. One such case is the song “Tiki tiki tak”.
So far, the following recordings have been found in Greek historical discography:
- “Tik - tak”, Estudiantina Tsanakas, Constantinople (Istanbul), c. 1911 (Orfeon 2023 – 11578)
- “Tik tak”, Petros Zounarakis, Constantinople (Istanbul), probably during the 1910s (American Record 2977)
- “Tik tak”, Petros Zounarakis, Constantinople (Istanbul), probably in 1913 (Favorite 30q -7-59001)
- “Tiki tiki tak - Rebetiko”, Giagkos Psomatianos (Giannis Kalaitzoglou), Constantinople (Istanbul), probably in 1913, (Favorite 45-q - 7-55014), current recording
- “Tik tak”, Giorgos Kanakis – Menelaos Theletridis, New York, November 1919 (Panhellenion 4680 – 7008-B)
The song can also be found on the recording for the shadow play "O Karagkiozis dikigoros", made by Mike Patrinos in New York, in January 1927 (Columbia USA W107524-2 - 7036-F & reprint Columbia UK 7704). More specifically, for the first 25'' of the recording, the tune, along with other lyrics, is used as an accompaniment for the entrance of the character Morfonios.
Finally, in 1967, in Athens, Markos Vamvakaris recorded the song together with Soula Stratou under the title "Tik tak kanei i kardia mou" on a 45 rpm record (RCA Victor 7RCAGR-1987 -48g-2704).
The song, under the title "Tik, tik, tak kamn’ i kardia mou", was published on a musical score in Athens by the publishing house E. G. Stavrolemis "Ai mousai", transcribed by Vasilis Sideris.
As revealed by Franco Fabbri (2019: 82), the song is an adaptation of the Neapolitan song "Questa non si tocca?", set to music by composer Vincenzo Di Chiara and lyrics by Antonio Barbieri. The musical score of the song was included in the publication "La tavola rotonda: giornale artistico, letterario, musicale settimanale, Piedigrotta 1910" which was published in Naples, in 1910, by the Bideri publishing house. According to the above source, the song was presented at the "Tavola Rotonda" contest during the 1910 Piedigrotta festival.
Many thanks to the Biblioteca of Conservatorio di Musica “Domenico Cimarosa” di Avellino, Gianpiero De Luca and Mauro Amato for granting us the permission to post the musical score.
"Piedigrotta" refers to one of the most famous and oldest religious festivals that took place in Naples. During the festival, a music competition took place, which, in the 19th century, turned into a dynamic festival. This festival took the form of a commercial mechanism which played a key role in shaping and promoting Neapolitan song.
So far, only one recording of the Neapolitan song has been found, from May 11, 1916, made in New York, by Amelia Bruno and the King's Orchestra (Victor B-17664 - 67929).
It should be noted that a song under the same title was recorded twice in Greek discography by Ioannis P. Agiasmatzis ("Tiki tiki tak", Constantinople [Istanbul], 1904, Gramophone 417d - 2-12222) and by Petros Zounarakis ("Tiki tikitak", Constantinople [Istanbul], 1906, Odeon C 849 - 1869).
Of particular interest is the fact that songs like this one, which went unnoticed in the place they were created, after being appropriated and re-arranged, obtain a new form in a different place and have a second "life", triggering a new cycle of re-creation. As George Kokkonis mentions (see "Cosmpopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography"), "they constitute a 'snapshot' of transformations which constantly produce new versions of old and 'deterritorialized' works. These do not possess any 'archetypal' essence, but are revealed to us through their new lives, each time within a different context, with real or imaginary references to some recognizable historical, geographical or linguistic imprint. Some of these new lives have greater longevity and are more influential, and then lend themselves particularly to the rhetorics of national identity, which often declare as archetypes all those things that are, par excellence, transformations, ignoring their cosmopolitan nature, and, above all, their universal scope. Songs like 'Karotseris', 'Tik-tak', 'Den se thelo pia' and 'Prigkipessa' are typical examples."
Another equally interesting element is the inscription of the word "Rebetiko" on the label of this recording. Often, in the glossary of rebetophiles, the term "rebetiko" is identified with very specific specifications. Rebetiko has been identified with the city-port of Piraeus, and its emblem is the bouzouki. On the other hand, rebetiko from Smyrna [Izmir] ("Smyrneiko rebetiko") is also often mentioned, either as a categorization of the genre, or as its precursor. And yet, historical discography, that is, the records that began to be produced from the end of the 19th century all over the world with primitive equipment and techniques, reveals a different reality. The research in this archival material of historical discography reveals that the term "rebetiko" began to be printed on the labels of the records around 1912, in Greek recordings that took place in Constantinople (Istanbul). So far, at least 80 recordings that are labeled with the term have been identified. There are two impressive facts: on the one hand, these recordings took place in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. Markos Vamvakaris started recording in Athens in 1933. So, his own recording career cannot be that easily and exclusively identified with the term. On the contrary, the word "rebetiko" began to disappear from labels after 1933. On the other hand, when listening to the musical works labeled as "rebetika", one might be surprised. None of these recordings contain a bouzouki. In addition, a part of the musical works is not oriented towards the East. Overall, the findings so far concern recordings made in Constantinople (Istanbul), Athens, New York and Chicago. It seems that the term was rather an invention of discography, of that early sound industry, whose decisions determined many times the developments regarding this historical repertoire and the way in which it reached us.
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
