IamageneralpractitionerdoctorandIhavebeeninvolvedasanamateurwiththethree stringmusicalinstruments(bouzouki,tzouras,baglamas)formanyyears. Myinvolvementwiththiskindofmusichasledmetopickrebetikoamongtheothertypesof music,asitstillalivenowadays. As a result of my love for this kind of music and with an initiative of mine,a musical – culturalclubcalled“Straypareitzides”establishedinHaidariwasfoundedin2007. Itspurposeisthestudy,preservationanddisseminationofthisamazingkindofGreekmusic whichisstillconsideredrelevantfromalyricaswellasfromamelodicpointofview. For all the above, which I mentioned briefly,I believe it isworld cultural heritage and deservestoberecognizedassuchbyUNESCO. IoannisVarnavas PresidentoftheMusical–CulturalClub FortheRebetiko“Adespotoipareitzides” AgiasLavras2,Haidari 12461Athens,Greece Athens,15.3.2016 MynameisLevitikosDimitris.IamagraduateoftheMusicDepartmentoftheUniversityof AthensandoftheNationalConservatoryofMusicDepartment(fugueandaccordion).Iwork as a Music Teacher in primary education and I have been involved for several years with rebetikoplayingguitar,accordionandviolin. IthinkRebetikoisaveryimportantandhighͲqualitymusicgenreasthecreatorswereable toheedtheirmusicinfluencesfromGreekfolkmusic,musicorientalculturesandthewords Byzantineecclesiasticalmusicandcreateagenrethathasartfulmusicandlyricscreating elementswithoutlosingthespontaneityandvitalityoffolkorigin. InmyopinionRebetikoisthebestthingmodernGreekculturehastoofferinmusicinthe lastonehundredyears. LevitikosDimitris EͲmail:[email protected] Tel.6973996629 Address:7LaskaridouStr,Kallithea MynameisGiorgosGoumenakis,Iam47yearsoldandIwasbornandliveinAthens.Iama musicvenueowner,inadistrictofAthens.Inthiscafe,whichmyfatherownedbeforeme,I gottolistentothepatronsspontaneouslysingingrebetika,andthatishowIcameinearly contactwithrebetikamusic. Mycontactwiththisgenrecameeffortlessly,assomethingabsolutelynormal.Lateron, whenIbegantowonderwhyIlikeitsomuch,Iconcludedthatrebetikomusicisexciting becauseitspeaksdirectlyanduniquelyaboutlove,friendship,separation,poverty, marginalization,thejoysoflifeandgenerallyforwhatordinarypeoplegothrough,witha lotoftalentandsometimesevenwithanguish. Inmyopinion,therebetikomusicisthemostoriginalthingGreecehastopresentduringthe lastcentury.AndIampleasedthattherearestillgoodmusicianswhoservethiskindwith respect. GiorgosGoumenakis 90,M.Botsaristr,Aigaleo,Athens mob:00306942223150 Athens,20thMarch2016 Havinggrownupinpopularquarters,mymusicalsensorformedmainlybysoundsdeeply rootedintheculturaltraditionoftheGreekpeople.Inthistraditionrebetikoholdsaspecial place,asitwasblendedwitholderelementsofaculturethatexceededtheGreekworld,but alsolaterservedasthebasis,fortheappearanceanddevelopmentofnewtypesofpopular music. MyrelationshipwithrebetikowasstrengthenedduringtheperiodsIwasownerofapopular cafeandbarwhereIfoundtheacceptanceithadevenbymuchyoungerpeople,whohad grownupwithwithoutrockmusicinfluences. Asahistoricwriterandliterateur,Ihavebeenveryinvolvedwiththestudyofthehistorical formation of rebetiko, discovering the close relationship it had with the more comprehensive social conditions of the times in which it flourished and with the living conditionsofthepoorestworkingclassesofcities. Preciselyforthesereasons,rebetikoisanelementofwealthnotonlyforGreekbutalsofor theinternationalculturalheritage. GiorgosAlexatos 7NikitaraStr,Korydallos,Athens Tel.:00306983189251 EͲmail:[email protected] Athens,20.3.2016 MynameisFanisApostolopoulosandIaminvolvedwiththegreekfolkmusicandrebetiko in particular. I play bouzouki as an amateur. I have played with small groups in various venuessuchastavernsetc. IhavebeendrawntotherebetikosincemystudentyearsandIlistentoitallthetime.Itis mypreoccupationwiththiskindofmusicthatpromptedmetowritesomeofmyownsongs inthesamestyle. Ibelievethattherebetikolifecirclehasstillalongwaytogo,itisstillaliveandinnmyopinio itisoneofthefewculturalthingsthatmakeusproudasapeople,itisourseal. Thankyou FanisApostolopoulos 3,Kallipoleosstr.,Athens mob:00306973321636 EͲmail:[email protected] Aigaleo,20.3.2016(Rebetokafenes) ForyearsnowIhavethegermoftherebetikogenre,illnessandredemptionatthesametime.I wasonlyastudentattheTechnicalUniversityinPatras(electricalengineering),inthetaverns playingRembetika,inthequietroomIstartedwithmyfirstverses.Myimagination,mylove affairs,musicandrebetikojourney. Latelywehadsomepublicityaswereleasedourfirstcdentitled"Inlife’spath",alwaysfollowing thetrailofrebetiko. GiorgosDimas,Librettist EͲmail:[email protected] My name is Giorgos Mihelinakis and alongside the music I work as an employee in a pharmaceuticalcompany. IwasfirstinvolvedwithmusicasachildandlaterasanadultIstartedworkingasaguitarist. Rebetikoandtraditionalmusicingeneral,theearlyyearstherewereonlysoundsinmyears, until I started discovering the wealth hidden in the rhythms, the melodic lines and the amazingvoicesthatcarriedthem. Historically, rebetiko that was the starting point for the creation of subsequent popular music,startedbytheweakereconomicstratawhichneverthelessmanagedtocreatestrong emotions and passions. The acceptance it had, during the first decades, from the poor popularstrata,forcedthebourgeoisieofthetimetoreconcilewiththeideathattheywere witnessingthe“birth”modernculturalheritage. Almost a century after its appearance rebetiko is a timeless genre, which for the Greeks aroundtheworldisanintegralpartoftheirheritage. GiorgosMihelinakis Memberoftheband“RebetokafenesTrio” 18,Miloustr.,AgiaVarvara, 12351Athens Mob:00306942532321 EͲmail:[email protected] MynameisSpirosKazakosandIworkasanemployeeintheprivatesector. Iplaybouzouki,baglamawithvariousmusicalbands. Rebetikowaswhatmademeturntomusic.Ittouchedme. Withhonour SpirosKazakos 38,Ag.Spiridonosstr.,Lamprini,Athens Mob:00306983381194 $WKHQV 7KHUHEHWLNRHQGXUHG 7KHUHEHWLNRVRQJKDVDEVROXWHO\ZRQ 7KLVZDVKHOSHGE\WKHVWXEERUQHVVDQGWKHDUWLVWU\RIWKHFROOHFWRUVUHVHDUFKHUVDQG DOOWKHPXVLFLDQVZKRORYHGLWGHHSO\DQGEURXJKWLWEDFNRQWKHVWDJHDQGWKH GLVFRJUDSK\+RZHYHUWKHUHDOYLFWRU\LVGXHWRLWVYDOXHLWVHVVHQFHLWVWUXWK ³7KHURXJKPHUPDLGVDQGWKHWZRHGJHGNQLYHVZKLFKWKH³GXGHV´DQGWKHOLIHUV WDWWRRRQWKHLUFKHVWVKDYHWKHVDPHYDOXHLQIRONDUWDVWKHHPEURLGHUHGIORZHUVXSRQ WKHJLUOV¶VLONKDQGNHUFKLHYHV´ 7KLVLQQRYDWLYHVWDWHPHQWRIWKHIRONORULVWDQGDFDGHPLF'LP/RXNDWRVOHGWKHZD\ :KHUHDVWKHZRUOGZLGHEDVLFVRQJUHSHUWRLUHGHDOVZLWKORYHDQGWKHUHODWLRQV EHWZHHQWKHWZRVH[HVWKHUHEHWLNRIURPLWVYHU\EHJLQQLQJGHDOHGZLWKDQG GRFXPHQWHGPRVWRIWKHWKHPHVZKLFKERWKHUHGWKHVRFLHW\ :HORYHLWDQGZHVLQJLW« $OHNRV/DORV 0XVLF$OEXPV¶FROOHFWRUIRUPHU0D\RURI1HZ3KLODGHOSKLD$WKHQV 13ODVWLUD1HZ3KLODGHOSKLD$WKHQV 7HO 0RE Date:21stMarch2016 From:KampasThanasis Subject: Inscription ofRebetiko in the UNESCO archives, as a live Greek music tradition, whichcontinuestoreflectasignificantpartoftheGreeksinthelast100years. My name is Kambas Athanasios, I studied and I practice the profession of Rural and SurveyingEngineering.Iamanamateurplayerofstringedbouzoukiandbaglama,andasI say"myworkoffersalivingwhilemyinvolvementwithmymusicoffersagoodliving." RebetikoisaliveGreekmusicgenrewhichappearedearlylastcenturyandspringsfromthe needofordinarypeopletospeak,tosinganddanceforjoyandpain.Thismusicgenreis transmittedfromgenerationtogenerationandislovedandsupportedbyasignificantpart oftheGreekpopulationͲfromplainlistenerstomusiciansͲandIthinkthatitwillcontinueto touchandthenextgenerationsasitisveryaliveandalwaysrelevant. BecauseoftheauthenticityandthehighemotionofRebetikosongsandthepassionofits fans, the spirit of the original composers, singers and musicians still continues to inspire, influence and guide the older and younger through the original and the later recordings. Rebetikoisalsoplayedinmanysmallmusicvenueswithmanysimilaritiesinspirit,ethics, wayofpracticeandsocialcontextwithwhichitwasoriginallycreatedandspread. IhopethatthisletterwillbeasmallcontributionintheefforttoensuretheRebetikowillbe inscribed in UNESCO's archives, as a live Greek music tradition, which I consider as imperative,sincethismusicreflectslargelytheGreekculture. Yourssincerely, KampasThanasis 43EliaVeneziStr,HaidariP.C.12461 Mob.:00306978006363 EͲmail:[email protected] MynameisSpirosGoumasandiam51yearsold.Iamamusicianandiplaythebouzouki fromaveryyoungage.Ifirstheardrebetikafrommyfather,whowasabouzoukiplayer.I lovethiskindofmusicverymuch.Ihavebeenplayingthiskindofmusicinmusicvenuesfor alotofyearsandIbelievethatitwillneverfadeasitspeaksattheheart. Ialsohavebeenteachingthiskindofmusicsince1996andmystudentscomefromallthe professionsandsocialbackgrounds.TheacknowledgementoftheRebetikofromUNESCOas intangibleculturalheritageofGreeceissomethingthatinmyopinionhastobedone. 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