Repertories and identities of a musician from Crete (Magrini)

Glossary of Greek terms


Amanépopular musical genre originated in Ionia and famous in Smyrna, which includes an instrumental introduction, two lines sung with long melismas on the word aman, and a faster instrumental refrain.
AskomadouraCretan bagpipe, with a double chanter and no drone.
Baglamás (pl., baglamades)a scaled-down version of the bouzouki. The bouzouki and baglamás were the most typical instruments of the rebetika.
BoulgaríCretan version of the Turkish saz, similar to the earliest forms of the bouzouki.
Bouzouki (pl., bouzoukia)a long-necked, fretted lute resembling the Turkish saz. The bouzouki and baglamás were the most typical instruments of the rebetika.
Café-amana type of musical café found throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, where amané songs were sung.
Dimotikí musicfolk music.
Dromos (pl., dromoi)modal types (e.g. minoré, rasti, houzam, hijaz, ousak, niaventi, sabak, tabachaniotiko, etc.), which often borrowed their names from the Turkish makam system.
Egoismósselfishness.
Kalamatianós (pl. kalamatianá)folk dance from Kalamata widespread in many regions of Greece.
Kanonaki (from Turkish kanun)plucked zither.
Kathistikálit., "sitting-down music," i.e., music for listening, not for dancing
Kondilyésmusic for mandinades, performed mainly in Eastern Crete.
Koutsavakis (pl. koutsavakides)braggart, denizen of the underworld.
Kroustápercussion instruments.
Laikí musicurban music.
Laouto (or lagouto)fretted lute.
Lyraa small, pear-shaped, three-string fiddle, held upright and played by stopping the strings from the side with fingernails, widespread in Crete and the Dodecanese. The strings are named 1. psilí or kandí or kandini; 2. mesakí; 3. vourgara.
Maleviziotistraditional dance of Iraklion (Crete).
Mandinades (sing., mandinada, from the Italian mattinata) improvised rhymed couplets of fifteen-syllable lines.
Mangas (pl., manghes)petty criminal, denizen of the underworld.
Outi (from Turkish oud)unfretted lute.
Paneghiroisaints' feasts.
PendozalisCretan open circle dance.
Pidichtós (pl., pidichtá)leaping dance.
Rebetika songsGreek urban popular genre, merging Greek and Turkish elements, developed mainly in Piraeus and enjoying great popularity during the 1930s.
Rebetis (pl., rebetes)petty criminal, denizen of the underworld.
Rizitika songsthe most important genre of folk vocal music in western Crete. It consists of the tavla and strata repertories.
Sandouri (from Turkish santur)trapezoidal hammered dulcimer.
Sousta (from Italian susta, lit., coiled spring)folk dance widespread in various forms in the Dodecanesian islands and in Crete. In Crete, it was traditionally performed mainly in the province of Rethymnon.
Strata repertoirein Crete, rizitika songs reserved for parts of the wedding rites other than the banquet, that is, for the transfer of the dowry to the bridegroom's house, the ceremonial welcome by the bridegroom's mother of the bride, the gathering of the gifts, etc.
Syrtós (pl., syrtós)open circle-dance, popular in Crete. Also performed in different styles in other regions of Greece.
Tabachaniotika songsCretan urban musical repertory which belongs to the wide family of musics that merge Greek and Turkish elements, like the rebetika and music of the Café-aman.
Tavla repertoirein Crete, rizitika songs performed in convivial occasions, mainly wedding banquets.
Taximi (pl., taximia; from Turkish taksim) improvised instrumental introduction, common to Turkish music, which set the mode (dromos) of the song.
Tekés (pl. tekédes, probably from Trk., tekke, a dervish lodge)a small shop where hashish was smoked and the rebetika were sung.
Tou gamou tragoudi wedding song.
Tsamikosdance performed in different styles in different Greek regions.
Tsiftetelidance often performed by gypsies in the Café Amans; one of the dances performed by rebetes.
TurkokritikoíMuslim Cretans.
Zeïbekikosurban dance performed in Eastern Aegean and Cyclades islands; one of the dances performed by rebetes.

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