Rebetiko Night - The Greek Blues

A dance theatre performance with live Greek Rebetiko music.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the destruction of Smyrna (1922), a group of renowned artists, dancers, and musicians from Skiathos and Athens present the culture of rebetiko through this performance, combining dance, live music, video and soundscapes.

Rebetiko, known today as “Greek blues,” emerged about 100 years ago from the fusion of Greek and Ottoman cultures. With the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Greeks from the region that is now Turkey (“Asia Minor”) to Greece, the Ottoman musical tradition blended with traditional Greek music and dance culture. Since then, rebetiko has continued to evolve.

With sensitivity to both the Greek and Turkish perspectives and a clear stance against division based on religious and nationalist hostilities, the performance "REBETIKO" takes the audience on an artistic journey through this history—beginning in Smyrna (modern-day Izmir) in 1922.

The performance "REBETIKO" not only recalls the consequences of one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes of the 20th century, but also highlights the significance of rebetiko, its therapeutic effect on performers and society, as well as its evolution—from Smyrna to the era of its ban during the Greek military dictatorship and up to the present day.

Today, rebetiko is recognized worldwide as an outstanding example of living cultural heritage and, as such, is rightfully included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. With its roots in a region where people of different religions and cultural backgrounds lived peacefully together for a long time (before being divided by nationalist forces), it remains even today a living symbol of international understanding, against oppression and persecution, as well as a memorial to the suffering caused by war throughout the world.

Production Credits

Choreography: Phaedra Pisimisi in collaboration with the dancers

Live Music: Andreas Asimakopoulos, Nicolas Asimakopoulos, Christos Asimakopoulos, Kostas Karakoudas

Dancers (1st and 2nd cast): Michail Logothetis, Philippos Memos and Phaedra Pisimisi

Sound design: Niovi Kitsiou

Set and costume design: Ria Papadopoulou