{"product_id":"0794881959921-grece-en-chordais","title":"Grece - En Chordais","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePRODUCT DESCRIPTION \u003cbr\u003e For centuries, the interaction between Greek, Turkish and many ethnic groups gave rise, in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the great cities of Asia Minor, to a musical culture which could be qualified as a perfect example of intercultural integration. The Oriental style called smyrnaika, played on violin, oud, qanun and santoor had a strong influence on rebetiko, today acknowledged as Greece s national music. This recording by the Greek group En Chordais illustrates to perfection this musical tradition of Asia Minor. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e REVIEW \u003cbr\u003e YET another piece of pioneering musical archaeology from Ocora, yet another forgotten corner of world music exposed to the light. The musicians of the En Chordais ensemble recorded this music last year, but if it wasn't for the absence of any hiss or crackle, you'd think these tracks were laid down a century ago. Greek rembetiko the rough blues of the Adriatic ports may be reasonably familiar, thanks to heavily amplified versions on the club circuit, but the rest of this music will be terra incognita for most listeners. Yet at times it feels oddly familiar, with elements of Arabic and Balkan Gypsy music threading their way through the tapestry. This is because it draws on the styles of the surrounding civilisations, as befits the history which has given rise to it. Its roots go back to the co-existence of the Turkish and Greek communities in Anatolia, which until the 11th century had been part of the Byzantine empire: ancient Byzantine music laid the foundations for Ottoman music, which with its links to the Central Asian and Arab-Persian traditions brought other elements into the mix. Armenia's troubadour tradition fed in too, as did the Slavic music which Jewish communities brought on their wanderings; this was \"intercultural\" creation in the best sense of the word. When war between Greece and Turkey led to a huge exchange of populations in 1922 hundreds of thousands of Greek and Turkish peasants being \"brought home\" or \"deported\" the cultural miscegenation was brought to a halt, but its music continued to thrive wherever men gathered in cafes, or women sang as they worked. Hence the songs and dances here, powered along by instruments like the oud, zither, spike-fiddle and goblet drum. The liner notes coyly describe many of these songs as \"erotic in content\", and there's no mistaking their lusty vigour; the instrumental improvisations, meanwhile, are fascinating. FOUR STARS --The Scotsman\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56438353920374,"sku":"0794881959921","price":13.04,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_802365_1299169_jpg_08d6289d-85a5-43a7-a689-a67688167a52.jpg?v=1760367450","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/0794881959921-grece-en-chordais","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}