To gerontaki

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The song refers to the "unholy-holy" foul-mouthed songs of the Carnival and is one of the few of its kind that were recorded in 78 rpm discography.

Miranda Terzopoulou writes the following in the publication "Ta apokriatika me ti Domna Samiou" (DVD from a taped show with dramatized carnival songs and popular events, as those were presented at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall on March 4, 2003 by Domna Samiou and her collaborators - Athens, 2003):

"Behind the masks of the costumes and under the pretext of parody, the phallus-carrying banqueters, with deified symbols of their life-giving power, and their devotees trumpet the hidden truths of life through the uncensored language of the body and the bold words of carnival songs. The ageless ephemeral law of the carnival defines everything from the beginning, that is, the other way around. At the visual level, this twist takes place through the change of forms, the immoral ways of the masqueraders and their unexpected behaviors, even in the most strict ceremonial framework. Individuals can be determined neither by gender nor by age, nor even by their species. Men become women, the young become old, the skinny become fat, the poor become kings, humans become animals, the priests become satyrs and the rituals become farces. In this upside-down world, outspokenness, sacred profanity, the violation of the most powerful taboos, the desecration of ordinance and the display of forbidden sexuality are legitimized.
The comical lyrics of the songs complete the overthrow of every established value and social contract. A grotesque gallery of human figures, weaknesses and flaws and a map of social roles and relationships where everything is catalyzed emerges through their themes, without losing the underlying sympathy and acceptance. Despots, priests, monks, old men and women with ill-timed erotic desires, devouring women, usually without a husband – widows or nuns – but also lustful female relatives constitute the main themes of this very public satire.
The absurd appears as logical, lies distort the truth, opposites compromise and social rules submit to ignored natural laws. People who are not who they seem to be sing songs that do not mean what they say because, through the misleading confusion of cheerful, light, playful, folksy wise and foul-mouthed speech, they seek the ambiguous way in which they will aptly express their criticism and protest against the social ills, they will declare their ephemeral rebellion against any oppression and they will expose and confess all those things which every day morality turns a blind eye to."

Author (Composer):
Lyrics by:
Unknown
Singer(s):
Elliniki Estudiantina (Greek Estudiantina)
Orchestra-Performers:
Elliniki Estudiantina (Greek Estudiantina)
Recording date:
1911 (?)
Recording location:
Constantinople (Istanbul)
Language(s):
Greek
Publisher:
Orfeon
Catalogue number:
No-10555
Matrix number:
775
Duration:
3:41
Item location:
Kounadis Archive Record Library
Physical description:
10 in. (25 cm)
Source:
Kounadis Archive
ID:
Orfeon_10555_ToGerondaki
Licensing:
cc
Reference link:
Kounadis Archive, "To gerontaki", 2019, https://vmrebetiko.gr/en/item-en?id=9415

The song refers to the "unholy-holy" foul-mouthed songs of the Carnival and is one of the few of its kind that were recorded in 78 rpm discography.

Miranda Terzopoulou writes the following in the publication "Ta apokriatika me ti Domna Samiou" (DVD from a taped show with dramatized carnival songs and popular events, as those were presented at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall on March 4, 2003 by Domna Samiou and her collaborators - Athens, 2003):

"Behind the masks of the costumes and under the pretext of parody, the phallus-carrying banqueters, with deified symbols of their life-giving power, and their devotees trumpet the hidden truths of life through the uncensored language of the body and the bold words of carnival songs. The ageless ephemeral law of the carnival defines everything from the beginning, that is, the other way around. At the visual level, this twist takes place through the change of forms, the immoral ways of the masqueraders and their unexpected behaviors, even in the most strict ceremonial framework. Individuals can be determined neither by gender nor by age, nor even by their species. Men become women, the young become old, the skinny become fat, the poor become kings, humans become animals, the priests become satyrs and the rituals become farces. In this upside-down world, outspokenness, sacred profanity, the violation of the most powerful taboos, the desecration of ordinance and the display of forbidden sexuality are legitimized.
The comical lyrics of the songs complete the overthrow of every established value and social contract. A grotesque gallery of human figures, weaknesses and flaws and a map of social roles and relationships where everything is catalyzed emerges through their themes, without losing the underlying sympathy and acceptance. Despots, priests, monks, old men and women with ill-timed erotic desires, devouring women, usually without a husband – widows or nuns – but also lustful female relatives constitute the main themes of this very public satire.
The absurd appears as logical, lies distort the truth, opposites compromise and social rules submit to ignored natural laws. People who are not who they seem to be sing songs that do not mean what they say because, through the misleading confusion of cheerful, light, playful, folksy wise and foul-mouthed speech, they seek the ambiguous way in which they will aptly express their criticism and protest against the social ills, they will declare their ephemeral rebellion against any oppression and they will expose and confess all those things which every day morality turns a blind eye to."

Author (Composer):
Lyrics by:
Unknown
Singer(s):
Elliniki Estudiantina (Greek Estudiantina)
Orchestra-Performers:
Elliniki Estudiantina (Greek Estudiantina)
Recording date:
1911 (?)
Recording location:
Constantinople (Istanbul)
Language(s):
Greek
Publisher:
Orfeon
Catalogue number:
No-10555
Matrix number:
775
Duration:
3:41
Item location:
Kounadis Archive Record Library
Physical description:
10 in. (25 cm)
Source:
Kounadis Archive
ID:
Orfeon_10555_ToGerondaki
Licensing:
cc
Reference link:
Kounadis Archive, "To gerontaki", 2019, https://vmrebetiko.gr/en/item-en?id=9415

See also