Music: Turkish zeybeks and Greek zeibekiko

Thanks! I'll post more links. too...

Some knowledge about zeybeks:

Folkdances, Costumes and Musical Instruments of Izmir

Zeybek folkdanceZeybek Dances (a dance of western Anatolia or its music) appear to our minds whenever Western Anatolian Folk Dances especially of Izmir, Aydin, Denizli, Balikesir and Mugla are told.

Zeybek dances are various about 150 types, however they can be gathered into two main classifications.

1) Slow Zeybek
2) Y�r�k Zeybek ( Fast Zeybek)

In Izmir Zeybek Dances that are to be danced whether single or with a group, display the Efe�s and Zeybek�s self-assurances, mainly braveness and their challenges. The Zeybek�s who show braveness and honestly with all their excitement are a symbol of dignity and valor.

Some of the Zeybek dances of Izmir and its surroundings are stated below: Arpazli, Harmandali, Kordon, Bergama, Dagli, Kasik�i Koca Arap, Elifoglu, Iki parmak, Sogukkuyu , S�sl�, Jandarma, Yunt daglari, Bakirli, Kasnak, Hantuman, Bas bas, Sabahin Seher Vakti, �tme B�lb�l�m, Yagdi yagmur, �akici, Ince Mehmet, Karsilama, Kozak, Somali, Yandir, Y�r�k Ali, Minarede Ezan Var, S�mb�l Bah�esinde Karanfili, Kemeralti Zeybekleri.

Musical instruments:

The musical instruments that are used in Zeybek dances are clarnet and drum in the open areas, ��baglama�� (a plucked instrument with 3 double strings and a long neck) is used in the closed areas. The double clarnet is traditional while the first clarnet plays the melody the other one accompanies it.

Costumes:

The costumes of Efe and Zeybek are told below.

Efe wear a deddish helmet which is made of broadcloth and this helmet called ��Kabalak��. Efe tie ��Posu�� that the young girls embroidered around their helmets. The blue shalwar (baggy trousers) that Efe wear are called ���asir Menevrek��. These shalwars� length extends to the knee-caps and they are open in both winter and summer. The flank side of these ���asir Menevreks�� are black-silk caftan (robe). They wear the tassels that is called ��Koza�� and they are long. This tassed must be 100 drachma (400th part of an okka). If the jackets that the Efe wear have sleeves, this type is called ��Cepken�� and if not, then it is called ���amadan��. These are made of blue or dark-blue broad-cloth and they are embroidered with the black-silk caftan with various motifs and Zeybeks wear silver-thread cepkens. The mintan with thin round disks and without color is called ��Alakye��, is worn to the waist and leather weapon case which is tied to it. In this weapon case ��Kulakli Yatagan Knife�� takes place.

Besides a handkerchief a silver tobacco case, an amber cigarette holder and two okkas of clean wool-shorn is used in case of an injury and from flank side of the weapon-case, an iron stick that is called ��mese�� leans over. He uses his knife to sharpen this Pala or to defend himself in case of a confrontation against agony. Two Efe never shoot each other, because this signifies ��cowardness��.

Efe wear ��Pazubent�� that is covered with silver to their arms, an ��enam�� and a silver ��hamay�� lean over on their breasts. Pazubent is worn from the childhood to the end of life. Efe�s weapons are silver reposs�e work that is embroidered with a silver reposs�e. They wear cross-cartridges called ��Karlilik��on their breasts. The embroidered boots that Efe wear are called ��Kayalik�� only Efe wear them. Zeybeks and infants wear ���ariksi�� (slippers). Both in winter and summer the woll socks are worn and knee-pad that is called ��Kepmen�� are worn on it. The daggers which are put ��Kepmen�� are used in dances. Efe and Zeybek are distinguished from each other with the difference in their mintans; Efe�s mintan�s are not buttoned up, their breasts are seen.


Meanings of the figures in Zeybek:

Some differences are seen in their figures of walking, turning, rising, knee-downing and holding up their arms (the walking with or without richochets) and turnings in the Zeybek plays display Zeybek�s self-assurance, honesty, braveness and challenging.

http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9 714&whichpage=7

A clip of a very nice zeybek:

http://www.muammerketencoglu.com/video/Muammer%20Ketencoglu% 20-%20Fatmam_17348.mpg

It says: Oh my Fatma, my life, my rose Fatma

              I don't add water to my raki (a hard Turkish drink with alcohol)

              If you add, I won't drink it

             but I'll never leave you my Fatma

Guys. Thank you very very much. I listened all posted mp3. both greek, turkish, ive liked it.

However, zeibekiko has quite balkans music sound. so I havent feel eastern soul in zeibekiko. I am not musician, but i think that zeibekiko has more "harmonic structure" than anatolian music sound and anatolian music has more "melodic structure" than zeibekiko.

btw: I think that byzantine music has eastern soul.

a sample.

http://dl3.rapidshare.de/files/3890134/28878942/eastern_soul .mp3

 

Edited by THE TURK

Well the first of these last songs you gave links to, the first is a classical Smyrneiko style, the second is a HasapoServiko (not sure if the Serbs have a similar rythm and we adopted it and from that we named it so).

From your third link I found the Telgrafin Telleri song really interesting. While it starts out as a Pontian song/rythm "ekaeken to Tsampasin" it makes a quick 'turn' in it's rythm to a well known song which is actually a syrto which is a clearly an ancient Aegean dance style/rythm.
It seems influence has gone both ways.

A clip that shows how to dance a very old zeybek from �zmir/Smyrna:

Harmandali:http://dc1.4shared.com/account/file.jsp?id=337909

Edited by kotumeyil

Thanks, The Turk!

I found an interesting zeybek instruction video, it's not a widespread style from the Aydin-Bozdogan region, Bozdogan Serenler Zeybegi:

http://rapidshare.de/files/11030058/serenler_0001.wmv.html

where is this "Bozdogan Serenler Zeybegi" from?

A great Rebetiko and Amane singer is Stratos Payoumtzis. I have many Rembetika CD's here, it is my favourite Greek genre, and by that I mean pre-post-War (if that makes sense).

Manolis Chiotis unfortunately, mucked things up when he introduced the four-chord bouzouki in the immediate post-war era and the fact that he also electrified the bouzouki. This meant that rembetika lost tehir Eastern (cf Turkish) flavour and became wholly European with a cheapened Turkish sound. Still, even in the 50s and 60s there were some good Greek rembetika, but it was not the classic sound any longer (I am one the purists).

I am curious, in Turkey, do the men still dance zeimbekiko alone? That's how it used to be in Greece too. Now women also get up to dance it...  (and no, I am not sexist)

One more question for our Turkish friends: Is the old style or rembetika (sorry for any incorrect spelling) still palyed in Turkiye? Is the master still in the centre in the teke or hamam?

I will have more to post on this issue as time goes on.


Glad to see that people like Markos Vamvakaris here! My favourite Rembeti too. Anyone here like Anestis Delias and Markos Melkon?