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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 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”.
Naturally, in the large urban centers of the Ottoman Empire around the Mediterranean Sea, the “conversations” of the Greek-speakers with their Turkish-speaking Muslim “co-tenants”, the Catholic Greek-speakers, the Armenians, the Sepharadi and Ashkenazi Jews, the Levantine Protestants, and the Europeans and the Americans, were more than intense. Very often, the scope of this network extends to the Balkans, to Eastern and even to a part of Central Europe. Especially regarding relations between Orthodox and Muslims, the relevant evidence demonstrates the musical exchanges between them and elucidate an ecumene where everyone contributed to the great musical “melting-pot”, and where everyone may draw from it, as well as redeposit it, in a new form, with a reformulated text and its meaning, with sometimes clear and sometimes blurred references to its pre-text, until someone else pulls it out again, through the “melting-pot”, so that it becomes clear that there is no end in this recreational and dynamic process where fluidity prevails. A case that comes from such repertoires is the song "Tis xenitias o ponos".
This recording (a repress from the record His Master's Voice AO 2016) includes an adaptaion with Greek lyrics of the Turkish song "Her Yer Karanlik (or "Makber"), with poetry by Abdülhak Hâmid Tarhan (see here). It appeared in discography in the third decade of the 20th century and was recorded several times in the following decades. For example:
– “Her Yer Karanlik”, Aksaraylı Yaşar Bey, Constantinople (Istanbul), around 1921 (Orfeon 13167).
– “Makber Abdoulhak Hamidin - Her Yer Karanlık/I”, [Hafız] Yaşar [Okur] Bey, Constantinople, 1923-1926 (Odeon xC 2951 – X 46384).
– “Makber Abdoulhak Hamidin – Her Yer Karanlik/II”, Yaşar Bey, Constantinople, 1923-1926 (Odeon xC 2952 – X 46385).
– “Her Yer Karnalik (2nci Kisim)”, Hafız Burhan Sesyilmaz, Constantinople, 1927 (Columbia W-22078 – RT 17950 & 12283).
– “Karanlık”, Hâfız Ahmet Bey, Constantinople, 1927 (Odeon Rx-46431 – xC 2987).
– “Her Yer Karanlik”, I Partie, Mahmoud Djelaleddin Bey (Mahmut Celalettin), Constantinople, 1930s (Parlophone 18551 – B. 21021-I).
Continuing with the Turkish-speaking repertoire, it is should be noted that the song was recorded three times by as many Greek singers:
– "Her yer karanlik", Achilleas Poulos, Camden, New Jersey, August 26, 1927 (Victor CVE-38548 – 68868).
– "Her yer karanlik", Roza Eskenazy, Istanbul, 1954 (Balkan 4047-A).
– "Er ger Karanlik", Stelios Kazantzidis, Athens, 1960 (Columbia C.G. 4195 – D.G. 7591) and re-issue on a 45 rpm record (7XCG 605 - SCDG 2750).
It was also recorded in Turkish in New York, around 1940, by Ashot Yergat for Ka [Mrs.] Koula's record label Panhellenic ("Heryer Karanluk", Panhellenic P 137-A).
The song can also be found in the Sephardic repertoire. In 1942, in New York, Victoria Hazan recorded "Lagrimas Verterei" (Metropolitan 3004-A).
It was recorded five times in the Greek-speaking repertoire:
– "Cher gier karanlik", Grigoris Asikis, Athens 1928 (Columbia UK 20283 – 8270).
– "Tis xenitias o ponos", Antonis Ntalgkas (Diamantidis), Athens, 1928 (HMV BF 1711 – AO-257).
– "Ergier Karanlik", Marika Politissa (Frantzeskopoulou), Athens, 1929 (Odeon Go 1469-2 – GA 1435/A 190262 a).
– "Tis xenitias o ponos", Antonis Ntalgkas (Diamantidis), Athens, May 11, 1931 (HMV OW-88 – AO-2016 & RCA Victor 38-3030 & Orthophonic S-629), this recording.
– "O fthisikos", Roza Eskenazy, Athens, 1934 (HMV OT 1684-1 - AO 2169). According to the label on the record, the song is attributed to Roza Eskenazy.
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 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”.
Naturally, in the large urban centers of the Ottoman Empire around the Mediterranean Sea, the “conversations” of the Greek-speakers with their Turkish-speaking Muslim “co-tenants”, the Catholic Greek-speakers, the Armenians, the Sepharadi and Ashkenazi Jews, the Levantine Protestants, and the Europeans and the Americans, were more than intense. Very often, the scope of this network extends to the Balkans, to Eastern and even to a part of Central Europe. Especially regarding relations between Orthodox and Muslims, the relevant evidence demonstrates the musical exchanges between them and elucidate an ecumene where everyone contributed to the great musical “melting-pot”, and where everyone may draw from it, as well as redeposit it, in a new form, with a reformulated text and its meaning, with sometimes clear and sometimes blurred references to its pre-text, until someone else pulls it out again, through the “melting-pot”, so that it becomes clear that there is no end in this recreational and dynamic process where fluidity prevails. A case that comes from such repertoires is the song "Tis xenitias o ponos".
This recording (a repress from the record His Master's Voice AO 2016) includes an adaptaion with Greek lyrics of the Turkish song "Her Yer Karanlik (or "Makber"), with poetry by Abdülhak Hâmid Tarhan (see here). It appeared in discography in the third decade of the 20th century and was recorded several times in the following decades. For example:
– “Her Yer Karanlik”, Aksaraylı Yaşar Bey, Constantinople (Istanbul), around 1921 (Orfeon 13167).
– “Makber Abdoulhak Hamidin - Her Yer Karanlık/I”, [Hafız] Yaşar [Okur] Bey, Constantinople, 1923-1926 (Odeon xC 2951 – X 46384).
– “Makber Abdoulhak Hamidin – Her Yer Karanlik/II”, Yaşar Bey, Constantinople, 1923-1926 (Odeon xC 2952 – X 46385).
– “Her Yer Karnalik (2nci Kisim)”, Hafız Burhan Sesyilmaz, Constantinople, 1927 (Columbia W-22078 – RT 17950 & 12283).
– “Karanlık”, Hâfız Ahmet Bey, Constantinople, 1927 (Odeon Rx-46431 – xC 2987).
– “Her Yer Karanlik”, I Partie, Mahmoud Djelaleddin Bey (Mahmut Celalettin), Constantinople, 1930s (Parlophone 18551 – B. 21021-I).
Continuing with the Turkish-speaking repertoire, it is should be noted that the song was recorded three times by as many Greek singers:
– "Her yer karanlik", Achilleas Poulos, Camden, New Jersey, August 26, 1927 (Victor CVE-38548 – 68868).
– "Her yer karanlik", Roza Eskenazy, Istanbul, 1954 (Balkan 4047-A).
– "Er ger Karanlik", Stelios Kazantzidis, Athens, 1960 (Columbia C.G. 4195 – D.G. 7591) and re-issue on a 45 rpm record (7XCG 605 - SCDG 2750).
It was also recorded in Turkish in New York, around 1940, by Ashot Yergat for Ka [Mrs.] Koula's record label Panhellenic ("Heryer Karanluk", Panhellenic P 137-A).
The song can also be found in the Sephardic repertoire. In 1942, in New York, Victoria Hazan recorded "Lagrimas Verterei" (Metropolitan 3004-A).
It was recorded five times in the Greek-speaking repertoire:
– "Cher gier karanlik", Grigoris Asikis, Athens 1928 (Columbia UK 20283 – 8270).
– "Tis xenitias o ponos", Antonis Ntalgkas (Diamantidis), Athens, 1928 (HMV BF 1711 – AO-257).
– "Ergier Karanlik", Marika Politissa (Frantzeskopoulou), Athens, 1929 (Odeon Go 1469-2 – GA 1435/A 190262 a).
– "Tis xenitias o ponos", Antonis Ntalgkas (Diamantidis), Athens, May 11, 1931 (HMV OW-88 – AO-2016 & RCA Victor 38-3030 & Orthophonic S-629), this recording.
– "O fthisikos", Roza Eskenazy, Athens, 1934 (HMV OT 1684-1 - AO 2169). According to the label on the record, the song is attributed to Roza Eskenazy.
Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis
© 2019 KOUNADIS ARCHIVE
