Fssst... Boing! (A twisted Shake, 1963)

reek movies of 50s, 60s & 70s are the best mirrors for the modern Greek culture. The fiery social changes that were taking part in the US and the rest of Europe could neither spread in Greece as well nor stay away either. The result? A beautiful mess. Greece was definitely not mature for social changes but somehow should adopt the trends that come along. There is the tricky part...

Anyway, today I am going straight to the main dish. A song written by Mimis Plessas, performed by unknown people and sang by the famous actor of the time Kostas Voutsas at the movie "Something to burn" (1963). Ntinos Iliopoulos was one of the greatest comedians of these years and that's why the videos that follow do not need subtitles to laugh (& the movie made a ticket record when it was released). At the first he is trying to dance to impress the girl and the band make fun of him...

... and at the second they visit him at his office saying "Last time, we were missing one, check this one!"

Amazing actors, times and innocence.

Mid-War Athens (Sofia Vembo & Imam Baildi, 1939 & 2007)

imam baildi

thens has not always been a stressful ugly capital of 5 million scarily stolid people. There were nice times that the city had been a truly beautiful and peaceful city. Seriously. It's hard for me to believe too, but it's true. Just take a look to some before-after pictures (everybody likes before-after pictures..):

Omonoia Sqr.(1920s?)

Omonoia Sqr. (2007)

Lycabettus picture from Acropolis, then

Lycabettus picture from Acropolis, now

Ok, back to the dark reality. All these nice buildings were torn down, all tram-lines were removed in order to sell our allies cars to buy their protection and there we are stuck in the traffic in an ugly city. Take it or leave it, you might say.

Only thing's left from that period is music. A romantic urban music strangely influenced from our European friends, since Greece never experienced a serious urbanization or industrialization since that time. Anyway, the combination was nice, it worked, people liked it, musicians too (not the rembetiko ones of course - but we are anyway talking about a totally different class) and beautiful songs were written for love, wine, and having fun.

The song

Today, two versions of the same song are presented: 1. The original one written by Giannides, Spyropoulos & Papadoukas in 1939 and performed by the great Sofia Vembo. 2. A remake of the modern Greek band Imam Baildi.

I am sure the pics and the songs will give you a really good example of how the city has changed. Still lyrical, but mostly in a nostalgic tone and the decades added a rhythm too. You can dance with it's sterilized beat, or dream with its melody parts. It's your call.

How Sorry I am (Original Version)

music: K. Giannakides

lyrics: Vasilis Spyropoulos

Remake: Imam Baildi

I have met so many loves, and I loved and I broke up

but wherever I was, It was you I was looking for

In all my thousands of dreams, my lips were looking for yours

and my soul as well as my secret passions

How sorry I am, for all there years that we lost

before I meet you, the one I have waited so long.

and how afraid I am that one day I might lose you

because I would never forget you...

Stand by me, my sweetest love

I still want to tell you...

How sorry I am, for all there years that we lost

before I meet you, the one I have waited so long.

and how afraid I am that one day I might lose you

because I would never forget you...

- Remember the other music genre that was very vibrant between the World Wars, Rembetiko.

The Shipwrecks (Miltos Sachtouris)

arthquakes in Haiti & in Chile. On all cases the Greek media were trying to make sure that no Greek was hurt, despite the incredible losses of human lives and the massive destruction in both areas. If all Greeks are ok, then there's no problem. Humanity can go further. How hypocrites can we be? How self-involved? Well, there is an answer. It's a poem, by the great Miltos Sachtouris.

Τα ναυάγια

Μακριά στον ορίζοντα γίνεται

ένα ναυάγιο,είναι πολύ μακριά

και δε γνωρίζουμε τους πνιγμένους,

τους φίλους και τους συγγενείς που

τους θρηνούν.

Αλλά κι εδώ κοντά γίνεται ένα άλλο

ναυάγιο,κι αλίμονο,ξέρουμε

τους πνιγμένους,καθώς και τους

φίλους και τους συγγενείς που τους θρηνούν.

Μ.Σαχτούρης

The Shipwrecks

Far beyond the skyline

there is a shipwreck, really far

and we neither know those that drowned

nor their friends and families

who weep.

But also here, nearby, there is another

shipwreck, and, alack, we do know

the drowned, as well as their

friends and families who weep.

M. Sachtouris

El Hombre Solo (Diafana Krina, 2003)

iafana Krina (Διάφανα Κρίνα = transparent lilies) had been the tip of the iceberg we used to call Greek Rock during late nighties and early 00s. Deeply lyrical, instrumentation that reached perfection and that mystery floating over the band was a greatly tempting combination. Thanos Anestopoulos with his exquisitely deep voice sung lyrics inspired from the poetes maudites and the band switched many times to different playing styles experimenting with new instruments and forms.

Their 3 first albums (Έγινε η απώλεια συνήθειά μας - Loss became our habit, 1996, Κάτι σαράβαλες καρδιές - Some Wrecked Hearts, 1998 & Ευωδιάζουν αγριοκέρασα οι σιωπές - The silence smells like wildcherries, 2000) are all masterpieces. The first one put the band on the map and it still contains their most recognizable songs. It was clearly depressing, purely rock and a totally different point of view in 1996. The second one was the most introvert one. Today, 12 years later, I still listen to new stuff in it. The 3rd was their most mature album. Guitars are on fire, great new songs are released and a strange balance between new sounds and old forms was achieved. Since then, an other 4 albums have been released but, in my opinion that was it.

A bright moment of their 4th album "Whatever's left of happiness" is today's song: El Hombe Solo (The lonely man). It is about a man that loved the world so much but ended up being alone. Really alone.

El Hombre Solo

Diafana Krina

He knew it would happen one day
that crack he used to carry
-boiling wound, bleeding silence-
would shatter him forever through and through

He shook the dust off him
and speechless moved on through the chilled wind
the kids behind Gazi swore at him
and someone poured water on him from a balcony

And dogs stared with tears in their eyes
him disappearing in the night's bottom
like someone who never existed
he who loved the world so much.

Remember the other famous Greek Rock band, and the father of all Greek Rock bands.

The City (Konstantinos P. Kavafis)

Kostantinos P. Kavafis at a 1983 postage stamp

Είπες· «Θα πάγω σ' άλλη γή, θα πάγω σ' άλλη θάλασσα,
Μια πόλις άλλη θα βρεθεί καλλίτερη από αυτή.
Κάθε προσπάθεια μου μια καταδίκη είναι γραφτή·
κ' είν' η καρδιά μου - σαν νεκρός - θαμένη.
Ο νους μου ως πότε μες στον μαρασμό αυτόν θα μένει.
Οπου το μάτι μου γυρίσω, όπου κι αν δω
ερείπια μαύρα της ζωής μου βλέπω εδώ,
που τόσα χρόνια πέρασα και ρήμαξα και χάλασα».

Καινούριους τόπους δεν θα βρεις, δεν θάβρεις άλλες θάλασσες.
Η πόλις θα σε ακολουθεί. Στους δρόμους θα γυρνάς
τους ίδιους. Και στες γειτονιές τες ίδιες θα γερνάς·
και μες στα ίδια σπίτια αυτά θ' ασπρίζεις.
Πάντα στην πόλη αυτή θα φθάνεις. Για τα αλλού - μη ελπίζεις -
δεν έχει πλοίο για σε, δεν έχει οδό.
Ετσι που τη ζωή σου ρήμαξες εδώ
στην κώχη τούτη την μικρή, σ' όλην την γή την χάλασες.

Κωνσταντίνος Π. Καβάφης (1910)

----------------------------------------------------------------

You said; "I will go to another land, I will go to another sea.

Another city will be found, better than this one.

Every effort of mine is condemned by fate;

and my heart is -- like a corpse -- buried.

How long in this wasteland will my mind remain.

Wherever I turn my eyes, wherever I may look

I see the black ruins of my life here,

where I spent so many years, and ruined and wasted."

New lands you will not find, you will not find other seas.

The city will follow you. You will roam the same

streets. And you will age in the same neighborhoods;

in these same houses you will grow gray.

Always you will arrive in this city. To another land -- do not hope --

there is no ship for you, there is no road.

As you have ruined your life here

in this little corner,

you've wrecked it now the whole world through.

Konstantinos P. Kavafis, 1910.

PS. Almost a month now, we have been trying to avoid the hard work that is needed for a song to be posted by giving quotes and... now a poem. To me, these might be even more precious than any song, but the main theme of the blog remains music. So stay tuned, since great ones are about to come soon!