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. Within these networks, 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.

It 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.

Exotic Africa is part of the imaginary East mainly because of the association of its northern and northwestern parts with Islam. For example, Morocco, Libya, and even Sudan are always viewed under the prism of the East. References to the "jungle" of deep Africa are rare. Examples include the songs "Mikri Zoulou" [His Master's Voice OGA348-1 – ΑΟ2303 and Orthophonic S360 (repress in the US)], recorded in Athens around 1936, and "O Tsitsanis sti zougkla" (Columbia CG1989 – DG6511), recorded in Athens in November or December 1939.

"O Kyriakos stin Antis Ampempa" (Kyriakos in Addis Ababa) is an act from the revue "I zougla" (The Jungle) written by Vasilis Spyropoulos - Panagiotis Papadoukas and music by Grigoris Konstantinidis. The revue, "several numbers of which revolve around the Italo-Ethiopian conflict" (see Acropolis newspaper, issue no. 2419, October 23, 1935, page 2), was first presented at the Alhambra Theater on October 18, 1935, by the Petros Kyriakos troupe. Apart from Kyriakos, the actors Marika Mantineiou, Manos Filippidis, Kaiti and Sofia Veroni, Fotis Argyropoulos and others participated.

The act describes in a humorous way the exotic opulence and wealth of the palace of the Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Selassie I, while satirizing the Second Italo-Ethiopian War (October 1935-May 1936). 

Greek revue shows its reflexes, not only on issues of domestic current affairs, but by also drawing topics from international events: "Mr. Kyriakos with Ms. Veroni, who travel as volunteers to Abyssinia [...] and the war scene on the border of Ethiopia where in Abyssinia he captures an Italian prisoner and in the end it is revealed that both of them are... Greeks, are scenes that made the audience burst into applause" (see Acropolis newspaper, ibid.). 

In 78 rpm Greek-speaking historical discography, there is another reference to the capital of Ethiopia, in the song "Antis Ampempa" (Addis Ababa) (Columbia GO2528 – GA1968), recorded in Athens in 1936. As the dates coincide, this may also refer to the Italo-Ethiopian War; however, the audio evidence has not yet been found.

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