Mourmourika - Songs of the Greek Underworld 1930-1955
Various artists
Rounder Records
CD 1120
| Ioannis (Jack) Halikias | Mourmouriko - Zeimbekiko |
| A Kostis | In the basement |
| Spachanis | The Mangas' Song |
| Yeorgos Kamvisis | Prisoner's Blues |
| Z Kasimatis | The Dude from Votanikos |
| Stellakis Perpiniadhis | The Con Artist |
| Kostas Roukounas, Samiotakis | The Dervish's Broad |
| Stellakis Perpiniadhis | Marjorie, on the sly |
| V Mesolongitis | The Junkie |
| Yeorgos Katsaros | They sent us into exile |
| Tasos Eleftheriadhis | The Mourmouris |
| Ioannis (Jack) Halikias | Hash-den instrumental |
| K Kostis | The jail's a fine school |
| Konstantinos Dhoussas | Manolis the hash-smoker |
| Z Kasimatis | The Ruffians |
| Stellakis Perpiniadhis | The dark-eyed flirt |
| Marika Kanaropoulou, Tourkalista | A mangas at the teke |
| Kostas Roukounas | The pick-pockets |
| F Zouridhakis | Dance from Syros |
| Harilaos Kritikos | The gambler |
| N Pourpourakis | The Sultan |
I would call this a "must have" for any Rebetiko fan. It comes with a 24 page booklet, containing an introduction, photographs, a glossary of slang terms, and for each song you get full details of the performers, the instruments they played, where and when it was recorded, and the lyrics in Greek and English. It even has biographical notes about the performers. It would be wonderful if all record companies went to this much effort.
This CD contains one of my favourite tracks, by A Kostis, called Stin Ipoga, "In the Basement". This track is actually played on guitars. One of the guitarists was leader for several years of the Aspra Poulia (White Birds) Hawaian Orchestra. Many of the songs on this CD are about hashish smoking, prisons and crime.