Greek Music

Greek music is the sound of the bouzouki and tunes like Zorba the Greek and Never on Sunday are heard everywhere, while rembetika is called the blues of Greece.

A Greek bouzoukiThe Bouzouki

Greece is one of the few countries in the world that has not succumbed totally to western pop music. Turn on a radio at random and you can almost guarantee that the first music you here will be distinctly Greek.  It may be modern Greek pop music, but it will still have that unique sound born of the bouzouki (the mandolin-like Greek stringed instrument that epitomises Greek music), and the influences of the Middle East and Asia, with definite echoes of Indian music.

That's not to say that young Greeks are unaware of the latest rock bands and music trends. They definitely are. You will have no trouble finding modern international music played in indoor and outdoor discos, at rock concerts in summer, and in clubs where live jazz, blues and rock are just as good as they are in any other country.

Greek discoYou'll Find Lots of Disco Music in Greece.

Young Greeks, though, grow up with traditional Greek music in their blood - and certainly in their ears, for wherever you go in Greece you will hear Greek music: in tavernas and bars, on ferries, in buses, and escaping through the windows of houses and cars.

Every region, every island, has its own folk music, although not much of it is truly native as the imported oriental influences are ubiquitous. Everywhere you go you will come across official music and dance festivals (the two are virtually inseparable in Greece), as well as impromptu sessions when the chairs are pushed back and the mood of the music simply takes over. In Greece, any open space is potentially a dance floor.

Greeks dancing at sunsetGreeks Dance Anywhere and Any Time

Rembetika

Rembetika is the blues of Greece, with a blend of jazz. As with both those types of music, it is created from various influences yet combines them all to provide a style that is unique. No one is sure where the name came from, but the music came to Greece with the exchange of populations with Turkey that took place in 1923.

Greeks who had been living in Turkey - most of them born there - brought back with them the distinctive oriental music that was popular in cafés and bars. The people who returned were for the most part desperately poor, many of them forced to live in primitive conditions around Piraeus, the port of Athens. Here drinking dens grew up where musicians and singers would meet, their music expressing the poverty of their lives and their feelings of alienation. Out of this, the Greek blues was born and lives firmly on today.

Rembetika Musicians playing in GreeceRembetika Musicians

Rembetika lives on, just like the blues in the USA, because it expresses heartfelt feelings that are both particular to a specific group of people and yet are universal at the same time. If you want an insight into the Greek soul, seek out one of the rembetika clubs in Athens and spend an evening there, watching and listening. Even if you don't understand the words, you will understand the sincere sentiments being expressed. be prepared for a late night, too. By the way, 'rembetiko' is the singular form of the word and 'rembetika' the plural, and you'll see both used.

Our Pick of the Guides to Greece

Rough-Guide-Greece-2022.png

Mikis Theodorakis

The most famous Greek musician of recent times is undoubtedly Mikis Theodorakis. He was born in 1925 and is best-known internationally for his soundtrack music for the 1965 Academy Award-winning movie Zorba the Greek. No one will get through a visit to Greece without hearing either the title track of Zorba or that of another famous Greek movie, Never on Sunday (1960), whose music also won an Academy Award for composer Manos Hadjidakis (1925-1994).

Theodorakis's music - at least in those days - was known as Entechno. This has nothing to do with modern Techno music but is a fusion of the folk and rembetika styles that produced a new type of music with a more contemporary feel but without losing the sounds of the past.

Theodorakis studied at the Paris Conservatoire, but became critical of the Greek classical music establishment - and of the Greek establishment generally. When the Colonels came to power in 1967, two years after Zorba's success had made Theodorakis a Greek musical hero, he was imprisoned and his music was banned for being subversive.

Iannis Xenakis

Greece produced another composer of international standing in Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001). Also an architect, he worked as assistant to the innovative French architect Le Corbusier (1887-1965) from 1948 until 1960. Xenakis's work also showed a corresponding interest in the mathematical and harmonious elements in music. He founded the School of Mathematical and Automatic Music in 1966. He sometimes worked with Greek themes, such as providing music for a production of the Oresteia, but Xenakis moved to France in the late 1940s, and became a French citizen in 1965.

Greek composer Iannis XenakisIannis Xenakis

Greek Musical Instruments

The music of Greece is unique and homegrown, both in style and in the instruments used, The following instruments form the backbone of the traditional Greek sound

The lyre - a relative of the harp, famous for accompanying Orpheus into Hades - has relinquished the lead role it enjoyed in antiquity. However, the lute, known on Crete as the lauoto, is still a Greek mainstay. Similar stringed instruments include the tamboura and the outi. In addition, you'll seldom see a band without a tambourine, called either a defi, dachares, or tsaboutsas, depending where you are in Greece.

Lyre in Ancient GreeceWas the Lyre Used in Ancient Greece?

Finally, the most ubiquitous instrument: the bouzouki. It's similar to a mandolin but has a lower pitch. One type has four twin pairs of strings like the mandolin, but there are also bouzoukis with just three sets of twin strings. This came to Greece from turkey and was used widely to play rembetika, but now it is seen as a traditional Greek instrument and you'll find someone who plays one in even the smallest of Greek villages, as common in Greece as a guitar is elsewhere. In fact you'll hardly ever see anyone playing a guitar in traditional Greek music get-togethers.

Don't miss our YouTube video of some live Cretan music, with Mike filming and Donna joining in the dancing.

Other General Greece Pages

  • Greece Travel Secrets chooses six of the best beaches in Greece including beaches on Corfu, Santorini, Crete, Lefkas, Kefalonia and on the Peloponnese.

    Six of the Best Beaches in Greece

    Greece Travel Secrets chooses six of the best beaches in Greece including beaches on Corfu, Santorini, Crete, Lefkas, Kefalonia and on the Peloponnese.

  • Luxury Weddings in Greece, including venues such as a boutique hotel with deluxe spa on Santorini, can be booked through Ionian Weddings.

    Luxury Weddings in Greece

    Luxury Weddings in Greece, including venues such as a boutique hotel with deluxe spa on Santorini, can be booked through Ionian Weddings.

  • Weddings in Greece and the Greek islands can be luxury or cheap, are easy to arrange from the UK or USA in Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes.

    Weddings in Greece

    Weddings in Greece and the Greek islands can be luxury or cheap, are easy to arrange from the UK or USA in Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes.

  • Greece Travel Secrets Greek Ferry Guide page uses an extract from the Aferry Greece website with advice on island-hopping, buying tickets online and timetables.

    Greek Ferry Guide

    Greece Travel Secrets Greek Ferry Guide page uses an extract from the Aferry Greece website with advice on island-hopping, buying tickets online and timetables.

  • This quick guide to Greece gives advice on choosing the best Greek destination for your holiday, whether in the Greek islands or the mainland.

    Quick Guide to Greece: How to Choose the Best Destination for You

    This quick guide to Greece gives advice on choosing the best Greek destination for your holiday, whether in the Greek islands or the mainland.

  • Greece for beginners is an introduction to Greece and the Greek islands by way of a memoir by travel writer Mike Gerrard about discovering Greek kindness.

    Greece for Beginners

    Greece for beginners is an introduction to Greece and the Greek islands by way of a memoir by travel writer Mike Gerrard about discovering Greek kindness.

  • Greece at a glance is a potted guide to the Greek currency, language, weather, health requirements and other information to help you plan a trip to Greece.

    Greece At A Glance: Currency, Weather and Other Useful Information

    Greece at a glance is a potted guide to the Greek currency, language, weather, health requirements and other information to help you plan a trip to Greece.

  • How to choose which Greek island from six of the most popular, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Kos, Kefalonia and Zakynthos.

    Which Greek Island?

    How to choose which Greek island from six of the most popular, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Kos, Kefalonia and Zakynthos.

  • Practical information on travelling around Greece by plane, by ferry, by bus, by train and by driving, including car rental, parking and other driving advice.

    Travelling Around Greece

    Practical information on travelling around Greece by plane, by ferry, by bus, by train and by driving, including car rental, parking and other driving advice.

  • The Greece Travel Secrets guide to tipping in Greece from two Greece travel experts, including when to tip, what to tip and when not to tip.

    Tipping in Greece

    The Greece Travel Secrets guide to tipping in Greece from two Greece travel experts, including when to tip, what to tip and when not to tip.

  • The nomads of Greece are the Vlachs, nomadic shepherds whose capital is Metsovo in the Pindus Mountains, and the Sarakatsani, shepherds in Macedonia and Thrace.

    The Nomads of Greece

    The nomads of Greece are the Vlachs, nomadic shepherds whose capital is Metsovo in the Pindus Mountains, and the Sarakatsani, shepherds in Macedonia and Thrace.

  • The home of the Greek Gods was the top of Mount Olympus, and among the better-known Gods and Goddesses in the Greek pantheon were Zeus, Poseidon and Aphrodite.

    The Greek Gods

    The home of the Greek Gods was the top of Mount Olympus, and among the better-known Gods and Goddesses in the Greek pantheon were Zeus, Poseidon and Aphrodite.

  • Greece Travel Secrets lists four of the best destinations if you want to go sailing in the Greek islands.

    Sailing in the Greek Islands

    Greece Travel Secrets lists four of the best destinations if you want to go sailing in the Greek islands.

  • This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.

    Greek Architecture

    This beginner's guide to Greek architecture explains how to tell your Ionic from your Doric columns, and what to look for in temples and Byzantine churches.

  • Top Ten Things to Do in Greece include seeing the Acropolis and Parthenon, visiting the National Archaeological Museum and ancient sites like Knossos on Crete.

    Top Ten Things to Do in Greece

    Top Ten Things to Do in Greece include seeing the Acropolis and Parthenon, visiting the National Archaeological Museum and ancient sites like Knossos on Crete.

  • The Top Ten Biggest Greek Islands, the largest in size, are listed by Greece Travel Secrets and include Crete, Evia, Lesbos and Rhodes.

    Top Ten Biggest Greek Islands

    The Top Ten Biggest Greek Islands, the largest in size, are listed by Greece Travel Secrets and include Crete, Evia, Lesbos and Rhodes.

  • The ten biggest cities in Greece start with Athens and Thessaloniki, followed by Patras and several suburbs of Athens which are Greek cities in their own right.

    Ten Biggest Cities in Greece

    The ten biggest cities in Greece start with Athens and Thessaloniki, followed by Patras and several suburbs of Athens which are Greek cities in their own right.

  • The ten best places to visit in Greece include Athens, Thessaloniki, the Greek islands of Crete, Mykonos and Santorini, and sites like Epidavros and Delphi.

    Ten Best Places to Visit in Greece

    The ten best places to visit in Greece include Athens, Thessaloniki, the Greek islands of Crete, Mykonos and Santorini, and sites like Epidavros and Delphi.

Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Latest Posts

  1. 4 Visitable Underwater Archaeological Sites in Greece

    Dive into Greece's rich maritime past as we explore four underwater archaeological sites that will soon be open to diving enthusiasts.

    Read More

  2. Flour Wars in Galaxidi: The Most Colorful Clean Monday Tradition

    The unique annual Clean Monday celebration in Galaxidi is the perfect excuse for a three-day getaway to this seaside town.

    Read More

  3. 5 Spots in Attica for the Perfect Clean Monday Picnic

    By the sea, atop a mountain, or flying kites in the park, you're spoilt for choice when it comes to idyllic picnic spots in Attica this Clean Monday.

    Read More

  4. Flourmills Thrakis: A Flourishing Legacy Rooted in Alexandroupoli

    A thriving family business that manufactures high-quality products, invests in innovative ideas, and helps to keep Greece's periphery alive.

    Read More

  5. Greeks ‘Escaping’ Abroad and to the Islands for 3-Day Weekend Holidays

    Greek airline company AEGEAN and the country’s airports are gearing up for two busy weekends ahead of the Clean Monday and Greek Independence Day holidays as travelers plan to jet off to international…

    Read More

  6. Lesvos: Summer 2024 Mytilini Music Festival Announced

    The Municipality of Mytilini on the island of Lesvos recently announced the city’s first international music festival that will take place this summer. According to Deputy Mayor Erifili Hioteli, the f…

    Read More

  7. Airbnb’s at Greek Carnival Destinations Almost Fully Booked

    Short-term rentals across Greece are seeing occupancy rates rise, as the three-day Clean Monday (Kathara Deftera) weekend approaches, primarily in the top 2 carnival towns, Patra and Xanthi, in Greece…

    Read More

  8. Air China Increases Weekly Flights to Athens from Beijing

    Flights between Athens and Beijing, via Air China, will increase from three to five weekly flights, starting April 1.

    Read More

  9. Seajets’ New High-speed Vessel Arrives in Piraeus Port

    Greek ferry company Seajets, aiming to offer high quality transport services, recently added the high-speed vessel EuroChampion Jet to its fleet. The latest member of the Seajets’ family arrived at Pi…

    Read More

  10. Athenian Riviera: Athens Coastal Area Stars in New Video

    Marketing Greece recently released a new video, in collaboration with Aegean Airlines, promoting the beauty of the Athenian Riviera and the experiences it offers visitors to the Greek capital.

    Read More