mere aural accompaniment to a thousand sunlit feasts of kebab and kleftiko (a word which originally denoted a stately dance). But those familiar sounds are there, in the voices of Manolis Angelopoulos (Greece's most famous gypsy singer) and Stelios Kazantzidis (who brought back the Oriental influences which had been banned from Greece in the 1930s). The point about Greek music is that it has always reflected the confluence of east and west, and this disc is full of such echoes. We get the rembetika music which grew out of drug dens in Thessaloniki, and the laiko urban blues which the colonels banned in the 1970s; we also get the bewitching sound of Womad-star Eleftheria Arvanitaki, and the long-gone Arabic delicacy of Kostas Nouros, "the nightingale of Smyrna". George Pissalides' commentary is illuminating, but it's a shame we're not given the basic facts behind each song. It would be wonderful to know the words to "the Greek Bob Dylan" Dionisis Savopoulos's number, for example, and the ideas injecting such sweetness into Nouros's café-song. --Michael Church
aural accompaniment to a thousand sunlit feasts of kebab andkleftiko(a word which originally denoted a stately dance). But those familiar sounds are there, in the voices of Manolis Angelopoulos (Greece's most famous gypsy singer) and Stelios Kazantzidis (who brought back the Oriental influences which had been banned from Greece in the 1930s). The point about Greek music is that it has always reflected the confluence of east and west, and this disc is full of such echoes. We get therembetikamusic which grew out of drug dens in Thessaloniki, and thelaikourban blues which the colonels banned in the 1970s; we also get the bewitching sound of Womad-star Eleftheria Arvanitaki, and the long-gone Arabic delicacy of Kostas Nouros, "the nightingale of Smyrna". George Pissalides' commentary is illuminating, but it's a shame we're not given the basic facts behind each song. It would be wonderful to know the words to "the Greek Bob Dylan" Dionisis Savopoulos's number, for example, and the ideas injecting such sweetness into Nouros's café-song.--Michael Church
The Rough Guide to Greece
Make the most of your time with "The Rough Guide to Greece" the ultimate handbook to the ... more
Greek mainland and islands - right down to the tiniest one-village outcrops. Flick through the full-colour section for an overview of all of Greece's highlights from Mount Pilio's lush countryside and Prespa's beautiful lakes to the fish market in Thessaloniki and the famous oracle site in Delphi. There are three full-colour sections: Greek cuisine Wild Greece and Orthodox Festivals hundreds of reviews of all the best places to eat drink and sleep for all budgets plus practical tips on a wide range of activities from bird-watching and windsurfing to hiking and cycling. The guide also takes a detailed look at the country's history culture mythology and wildlife and comes complete with maps and plans for every region.
Advantages: great selection, good variety Disadvantages: somehow mistitled, mostly traditional stuff
...RoughGuide, best known for their budget travel guides, has been steadily expanding in other areas, and has been responsible for quite a few musical "guides" over the years.
This 1998 album, marketed as "RoughGuideto the Music of Eastern Europe", does pretty much exactly what is says on the package: provides quite a wide ranging overview of folk and (occasionally) folk-inspired music of Eastern Europe. This is an album that pretty much started my liking for "world music" coming from my part of the world, and despite its age it remains a good compilation which really does showcase the variety of what's on offer quite well.
One thing that this "RoughGuide" album needs is perhaps a better definition of what is considered Eastern Europe: this is a surprisingly woolly category (I always remember somebody commenting than Poland...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Lots of town and city maps, and site information. Disadvantages: Bulky for a backpacker, not ideal if you are just staying in Athens.
...I took this book with me with toGreece for three weeks of backpacking, and it returned, sandy and beaten and my faithful companion. As well as giving basic and helpful advice on on the culture and people of Greece, it was also very practical. It offers options for both people on a budget and those with a bit more cash. In my opinion it really brought my trip toGreece alive, as I could not afford to take lots of tours, it provided a lot of information about the historical sites I visited, which was vital as my tour was orientated around sites and museums. If you are only travelling to Athens, then a smaller city guide would be a better option however. Highly recommended for any traveller around Greece....
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Chatty, friendly style. Informative Disadvantages: Not a technical 'manual'
...terms of disadvantages, if you want an all-singing, all-dancing 'technical manual' with photos and diagrams, this isn't for you.
I'd recommend The RoughGuideto Pregnancy and Birth highly and if you're about to join the Kid Club you'd be well served in picking up a copy.
NB - I have reviewed the 2nd Edition, 2006....
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
helpful 14.01.2008
Compare Greece - The Rough Guide To Rebetika - Various Artists to other similar World
Similar products and search queries by other users
Greece Rebetika, Greece The Rebetika, Greece Rough Rebetika, Greece Guide Rebetika, Greece To Rebetika, Greece The Rough Rebetika, Greece The Guide Rebetika, Greece The To Rebetika, Greece Rough Guide Rebetika, Greece Rough To Rebetika, Greece Guide To Rebetika, Greece The Rough Guide Rebetika, Greece The Rough To Rebetika, Greece The Guide To Rebetika, Greece Rough Guide To Rebetika
Are you the manufacturer / provider of Greece - The Rough Guide To Rebetika - Various Artists? Click here
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
13.07.2009
09.03.2009
14.01.2008
