See Hear Podcast 135 - Interview with Mary Zournazi, director of "My Rembetika Blues"

The origins of popular American and English music forms like blues, jazz, rock and folk are well documented in the English-speaking world (and possibly the non-English speaking world). So, when a film comes along that looks at something outside of that realm, I find my interest piqued.

Welcome to episode 135 of See Hear Podcast.

Greek-Australian film maker and academic Mary Zournazi decided she wanted to make a personal documentary about the history of Rembetika music, and its origins. I say “personal” because the story she presents is through the lens of her family history. This is no ordinary documentary about “this thing happening leading to that thing happening”. She goes back to the story of her grandmother being a refugee during  the Greco-Turkish war of the early 1920s, and how that war led to the environment of Greek diaspora refugees resettling in Piraeus and Thessaloniki. Many of these people brought their musical expertise and started playing in hash dens, singing songs of hard times – hence, why Rembetika is often called the blues of Greece.

Mary’s 2021 documentary My Rembetika Blues does what all good music documentaries should do – it tells us as much about social circumstances as it does about music. She tells her family story, speaks to historians, musicians, instrument makers, a rap artist who links Rembetika to his modern style of performing, and a clergyman who is also a musicologist explaining the structure of the ancient Middle Eastern styles that led to Rembetika.

Tim is still on leave, but Kerry and I had a brilliant time chatting with Mary about her film and personal history. This is a film that should be seen by anyone with a wider interest in music, and how history dictates its development. We’re hugely grateful for her time. Also huge thanks to listener, Ruth Leveson for suggesting this film.

You can watch the film on Video On Demand at https://vimeo.com/ondemand/myrembetikablues2

If you’re a Kanopy member (and why wouldn’t you be), check to see if it’s on your library’s film catalogue.

If you want to watch the Costas Ferris film Rembetiko directed by Costas Ferris that served as Mary’s inspiration to investigate Rembetika music, it’s on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZXSjtZ0P1I

See Hear is proudly part of the Pantheon Network of music podcasts. Check out all the other wonderful shows at http://pantheonpodcasts.com

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You can download episode 135 from here.