What is Rebetiko?
A deeper look at Greek Blues: the music of passion, pain and love.
Sounds of Rebetiko
Listen to the sounds of Greek Blues: the music of passion, pain and love.
Rebetiko (Greek Blues) is urban improvised music melding Byzantine, Turkish, Greek, Sephardic, Jazz, and other forms. It pays homage to the past and reflects a modern Greece with new diverse musical influences.
Rebetiko is a vibrant fusion of song and dance which was popular among the urban working-class populations in Smyrna (Izmir) and Constantinople (Istanbul) around the turn of the 20th Century. It found its home in the ports of Athens and Thessaloniki after the expulsion of Greeks from Modern Turkey in the 1920s.
Rebetiko Festival takes over Melbourne Recital Centre this March. Discover the authentic sounds of Rebetiko below.
Want more?
Listen to our podcast What is Rebetiko (2018) here
View the 2019 Rebetiko Festival line-up (including George Doukas and the D Strings pictured above) here
