Laiko Music of Greece

Laiko (song of the people/ famous song or urban folk music), is a Greek music genre that is composed in Greek language in accordance with the tradition of the Greek tribe, laiko came to be after the commercialization of rebetiko music. Until the 1930s the Greek discography was dominated by two musical genres; the Elafro tragoudi (literally light song) and Greek traditional music. The latter was the Greek version of the international urban music of the period. The classical laiko as it is known presently was the normal famous music of Greece during the 60s and 70s. This was led by composers like Marrinellam Stelios Kazantzidis, Grigoris Bithikotsis, Panos Gavalas and others.

source of picture: www.europopmusic.eu

Among the most important songwriters and lyricists of this era are considered George Zambetas, Manolis Hiotis and Vassilis Tsitsani; of course the big names of this type are still in Greek business. The more cheerful version of laiko, known as elafro laiko, elafrolaiko light laiko and it was often used in musical during the Golden age of the Greek cinema. The current laiko, also known as the modern laiko, is recently Greece’s normal music genre. Some of the strongest Greek dances and rhythms present Greek music tradition laika are Syrta, Hasapika Kalamatiana, Nisiotika, syrtaki, zeibekiko and Greek belly dance and the most of them are set to music by the Greek instrumental bouzouki. So, on the one hand there is the standardized Greek well-known song, with all the idioms of traditional Greek folk music, and on other, the peculiar musical styles of the urban rebetiko (song of the cities) is also known in Greece.

Other important songwriters and lyricists of the types are Akis Panou, George Zambetas, Apostolos Kaldaras, Giorgos Mitsakis, Lefteris Papadopulos, Stravros Kouyioumtzis, and Eftichia Papagianopoulos. Many musicians have mixed the traditions of entekhno and laiko with considerable success, like singer Starvros Xarchakos and Mimis Plessas.

During the same period, there was also another type of soft of music which is also known as elafro soft (soft); literally means light, which became fashionable; it was represented by groups of singers/artists like the Katsamba Brother duo, the Trio Kitara, the Trio Belcanto, the Trio Atene and others. The genre’s sound was an imitation of the then current Cuban and Mexican traditional music, but also had elements from the early Athenian famous songs.

Some of the notable artists includes Manolis Chiotis, Vassilis Tsitsanis, Kostas Virvos (lyricist), Pythagoras Papastamatiou (lyricist), Apostolos Kaldaras, Lweftris Papadopoulos (lyricist), Mikis Theodorakis, Stravros Kouyioumtzis, Mimis Plessas, Giorgos Zambetas. Singers like Vicky Moscholiou, Marinella, Stelios Kazantsidis, Giannis Kalatzis, Giorgos Dalaras, Panos Gavalas, Christos Syrpos (Christakis) and Grigoris Bithikotsis.