REBETOPAREA (Kosmas Vrouvlianis, Director)
special appearance by GREGORY MANINAKIS
Holy Cross St. Romanos the Melodist Byzantine Choir (Grammenos Karanos, Director)

Rebetiko—a type of song that expresses the musical folklore of Greek urban populations on the margins of society—originated in the late nineteenth century in the port cities of the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly Smyrna, Constantinople, Thessaloniki, Piraeus, Ermoupolis, and Alexandria. Rebetoparea and acclaimed singer Gregory Maninakis perform selections from all periods of the genre’s history, including songs by Markos Vamvakaris, Vasilis Tsitsanis, and Yiannis Papaioannou. Holy Cross St. Romanos the Melodist Byzantine Choir will showcase the pre-history of rebetiko, which is intimately connected to the ecclesiastical music of medieval and post-medieval Constantino