‘Drunk’ rebetiko blues fusion: dissecting two contemporary songs

Abstract

Rebetiko is a style of folk music that originated at the end of the nineteenth century in prisons and ports and has been described as «the Greek blues». Rebetiko shares parallels with blues in its origins among marginalised communities, however, while rebetiko evolved with contributions from Asia Minor refugees in the ports of the Eastern Mediterranean, blues traces its roots to West Africans who were forced to leave their country to become slaves in the USA. Banned for decades, rebetiko and its characteristic Eastern scales (drómoi) have been transmitted orally across musicians, resulting in inconsistencies in documentation and discrepancies between authors. To address these challenges the drómoi were collated from eighteen sources, then re-imagined and re-harmonised, and finally used for the creation of intercultural songs like «9 + 7 = 8» and «Σουρουκλεμές & Γιαβουκλού». The fusion of rebetiko and blues is examined through their dissection that focuses on orientalism of twelve-bar blues progressions with the use of drómoi and the adaptation of jazz chord-scale systems. The analyses showcase interpretations of ‘drunk’ feels through the alteration of asymmetrical time signatures, as well as by utilising a Dilla-inspired feel. This paper prompts discussions on how modernity is achieved through cultural blending.