Marika Papagika
Marika Papagika | |
---|---|
Born | Greek folk music, Turkish folk music, Rebetiko | September 1, 1890
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1913–1937 |
Labels | His Master's Voice, Columbia Records |
Marika Papagika (Greek: Μαρίκα Παπαγκίκα, née Katsoris;[1] September 1, 1890 – August 2, 1943) was a popular Greek singer in the early 20th century and one of the first Greek women singers to be heard on sound recordings.
Biography
Marika Papagika was born on the island of
She emigrated to America through
In July 1918, she made her first trial recording in the States for
Between 1918 and 1929, she recorded at least 232 performances
Marika's café-aman was a successful business until the stock market crashed. The club closed in 1930, and Marika Papagika's recording career ended, except for four
In her later years Marika lived with her husband on Staten Island, New York, where she died on August 2, 1943.[6]
Musical style
Marika Papagika distinguished herself from most of her contemporaries by virtue of her sweet soprano voice with its relatively high tessitura, her vocal timbre, somewhat reminiscent of Western classical singers, and her diction. The style and sound of her recordings is further distinguished by the particular accompaniment which graced most of them, namely the unusual combination of cymbalom and violoncello, plus a violin or a clarinet, and, very occasionally, a xylophone. Her occasional forays into more purely Western songs also set her apart from her female contemporaries on both sides of the Atlantic. It is perhaps reasonable to understand the performance styles of Mr. & Mrs Papagika & Co. as a true echo of the "santouro-violi" (santouri and violin) music of late 19th century urban Ottoman and mainland Greece.
Musical collaborators
The major source of information as to Papagika's accompanists is Richard Spottswood's Ethnic Music On Records Vol 3 pp 1197–1204. Papagika was accompanied on all but about 50 of her recordings by her husband Gus and by cellist Markos Sifnios, one of very few cellists in Greek folk music recordings. The upper instrumental part was usually played by one of various violinists, including Athanasios Makedonas, Vangelis Naftis (to whom she calls out on the song "Aïdinikos Horos"), George Theologou, and the Epirot master Alexis Zoumbas (1883-1946), or by a clarinettist, most frequently Nicholas Relias (1922–1925), and on one session Pete Mamakos. Some orchestral accompaniments were directed by Nathaniel Shilkret, some by hitherto anonymous directors.
Revival of interest
After her death, Papagika's music faded into obscurity, and was only available to those with access to her
Songs
This is an alphabetical selection comprising about one sixth of Papagika's recorded output. Some songs were recorded twice at a few years' interval.
- Ah, Giatre Mou (Oh, My Doctor!)
- Aidinikos horos (Aidinikos Dance)
- Apano Se Trikorfo Vouno (On a Triple-Peaked Mountain)
- Arahova (Arachova)
- Baghlamadhes (Baglamas)
- Bournovalio Manes (Varitera Ap' Ta Sidera) (Bournovalio Manes – Heavier That Iron)
- Daskala (Teacher)
- Dourou Dourou (Dourou Dourou)
- Elenaki (Elenaki)
- Fonias Tha Gino (I'll Become a Murderer)
- Galata Manes (Galata Manes)
- Gel Gel (Come Come)
- Hrissaido (Chrissaido)
- I Mavromata (Black-Eyed Girl)
- Katinaki mou (My Little Katina)
- Katsantonis (Katsantonis)
- Kenouria Logia Mou Pane (New Words They Said to Me)
- Kinisa o mavros (I Departed the Poor One)
- Kira Doudou (Mrs. Doudou)
- Kremete I kapota (The Shepherd's Coat is Hanging)
- Lemonaki (Little Lemon)
- Manaki mou (My Baby)
- Mantalena (Mantalena)
- Mavrideroula (Black-Skinned Girl)
- Mes Tin Agia Paraskevi (In Saint Paraskevi)
- Mes Tou Sigrou Ti filaki (In Sygros' Prison)
- Mytilinia (Girl of Mytilini)
- Ntavelis (Davelis)
- O Horos Tou Zalongou (Dance of Zalogo)
- O Marcos Botsaris (Markos Botsaris)
- Olympos Ke Kisavos (Olympos and Kissavos)
- Pismatariko (Little Obstinate Girl)
- Prosfigopoula (Little Refugee Girl)
- Psaradhes (Fishermen)
- Smyrneïko Minore (2 versions, 1918 & 1919)
- Smyrneikos Ballos (Ballos Dance of Smyrna)
- Sta Salona (In Salona)
- Sta Vervena Sta Giannena (In Vervena and Giannina)
- Sti Filaki Me Valane (The Put Me in Prison)
- Stis Arkadias Ton Platano (Under the Arcadian Plane)
- Stis Mantzouras Ton Antho (The Flower of Mandzoura)
- Tha Spaso Koupes (I'll Smash Cups)
- Ti Se Meli Esenane (What Do You Care About)
- To Koutsavaki (Bully)
- To Len I Kouki Sta Vouna (The Cuckoos Sing it on the Mountains)
- To Vlepis Kino To Vouno (Do You See That Mountain)
- Tourka Derni Ti Sklava Tis (Turkish Lady Beats Her Slave)
- A Ballad for Chanakkale
- Iskender bogazi dardir gecilmez
- Küçük Hanım (Sendeki Kaşlar Bende Olaydı)
Discography (reissues)
For the sake of historical accuracy this chronological reissue discography includes reissues from 1976 onwards. The first 8 entries refer to 33rpm LPs. All subsequent issues but the Mississippi LPs are CDs.
- Ta Prota Rembetika (The First Rebetika Songs) CBS LP 53753 (1976) – 7 songs
- To Rembetiko Tragoudi vol 1 – CBS LP 82290 (1977) – 4 songs
- To Rembetiko Tragoudi vol 2 – CBS LP 82303 (1977) – 3 songs
- To Rembetiko Tragoudi vol 3 – CBS LP 26116 (1984) – 4 songs
- To Rembetiko Tragoudi vol 4 – CBS LP 26117 (1984) – 2 songs
- To Rembetiko Tragoudi vol 5 – CBS LP 26118 (1984) – 3 songs
- To Elliniko Laiko Tragoudi Stin Ameriki – Falirea 22/23 (1984) – 6 songs
- Greek-Oriental Rebetica: Songs And Dances In The Asia Minor Style. The Golden Years: 1911–1937 – Arhoolie Folklyric Records (LP 9033, 1984?, CD 7005 1991) – 2 songs
- Rembetica – Historic Urban Folk Songs From Greece – Rounder CD 1079 (1992) – 1 song
- Marika Papagika – Greek Popular and Rebetic Music in New York 1918–1929 – Alma Criolla ACCD802 (1994) – 19 songs
- Smirneiko et Rebetiko – Les grandes chanteuses, 1915–1936 Silex Memoire, Auvidis Y225114 (1995) – 6 songs
- To Elliniko Tragoudi Stin Ameriki – Ixografiseis 1918–1929 – Difono-Hellenic Record C 1011 (1999) – 18 songs
- Women Of Rembetica – Rounder CD 1121 (2000) – 1 song
- Mortika – Rare Vintage Recordings From A Greek Underworld – ARKOCD008 (2005) (2LP Mississippi MR-043 2009) – 1 song
- Rembetika – Greek Music From The Underground – JSP 77105 (2006) – 2 songs
- Black Mirror – Reflections in Global Musics (1918–1954) – Dust-To-Digital DTD-10 (2007) – 1 song
- Rembetika 2: More of the Secret History of Greece's Underground Music – JSP 77105 (2008) – 1 song
- The Greek Song In USA Marika Papagika Vol. 1: Recordings 1918 – 1929 – Hellenic Record (2008) – 19 songs
- The Greek Song In USA Marika Papagika Vol. 2: Recordings 1923 – 1929 – Hellenic Record (2008) – 16 songs
- The Greek Song In USA Marika Papagika Vol. 3: Recordings 1919 – 1929 – Hellenic Record (2008) – 17 songs
- The Further The Flame The Worse It Burns Me – Greek Folk Music in New York City 1919–1928 – Mississippi MR-071(2010) – 11 songs
- To What Strange Place – The Music Of The Ottoman-American Diaspora (1916–1929) – Tompkins Square TSQ 2618 (2011) – 4 songs
- Rembetika 7: Women of Rembetika – JSP77152 (2012) – 8 songs
Notes
- ^ "Μαρίκα Παπαγκίκα: μια σπουδαία φωνή που εκτιμήθηκε έστω και αργά | LiFO". August 2, 2018.
- ISBN 978-0-8108-8296-6.
- ^ a b c d Vernon, Paul. Seeking Marika
- ^ Nagoski, Ian. The Further The Flame, The Worse It Burns Me: Greek Folk Music in New York City, 1919–28
- ^ Frangos, Steve. Marika Papagika and the Transformation of Modern Greek Music
- ^ a b Soffa, David. Notes to CD Marika Papagika – Greek Popular and Rebetic Music in New York 1918–1929 – Alma Criolla ACCD802 (1994)
References
- "GREEK SINGER MARIKA PAPAGIKA GAINING NEW FANS". All Things Considered. Washington, D.C.: NPR. February 3, 1995. ProQuest 190090069.
- Frangos, Steve (1994). "Marika Papagika and modern Greek music". Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora. 20 (1): 43–64. hdl:10066/13128.
- Nagoski, Ian. Notes to LP The Further The Flame, The Worse It Burns Me: Greek Folk Music in New York City, 1919–28 (2010)
- Soffa, David. Notes to CD Marika Papagika – Greek Popular and Rebetic Music in New York 1918–1929 – Alma Criolla ACCD802 (1994)
- Spottswood, Richard. Ethnic Music On Records – A Discography of Ethnic Recordings Produced in the United States, 1893 to 1943. Volume 3 Eastern Europe; University of Illinois Press 1990 LCCN 89-020526.
- Vernon, Paul. Seeking Marika (2008). see http://www.frootsmag.com/content/features/marika-papagika/