What Is Rebetiko? With Cat McGauran & Con Kalamaras

What is Rebetiko? ​It is the music of passion, pain and love. It is a tapestry woven of Byzantine, Turkish, Roma, Jewish and other musical forms, created in the Piraeus 100 years ago by Greek refugees from Asia Minor and has grown to become a globally respected musical style.​ Cat McGauran speaks with Con Kalamaras about Rebetiko music and its history. Con Kalamaras has had a long history within the world music community in Melbourne and in Community Radio. His background is as an active musician within the Greek Community, playing primarily in the Melbourne Rebetiko Ensemble, and has also produced many concerts in Melbourne. His ensemble has been a staple in many local and interstate festivals. Con’s passion for music also extends to his obsession for collecting rare European 78 records and for his ever growing LP and CD collection. Fascinated by the history of recording technology, Con has thrown himself deeply into researching the musical history of recordings and how these tie in with the mass movements of people and how these recordings have captured this history.