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[eracles]

I need to learn this stuff, I'm getting married next year in Cyprus.
Is this always the song they play for the best mans dance.
Someone said you're supposed to show a mock kind of anger at losing your freedom in this dance?
What is the song that is playing!?

Many thanks for any help!

Here's the song

(This excerpt of the song is 796kb and is in mp3 format.)[/url]

[Kifeas]

I need to learn this stuff, I'm getting married next year in Cyprus.
Is this always the song they play for the best mans dance.
Someone said you're supposed to show a mock kind of anger at losing your freedom in this dance?
What is the song that is playing!?

Many thanks for any help!

Here's the song

(This excerpt of the song is 796kb and is in mp3 format.)[/url]

Δε θα ξαν' αγαπήσω

Στίχοι: Λευτέρης Παπαδόπουλος
Μουσική: Μάνος Λοΐζος
Πρώτη εκτέλεση: Στέλιος Καζαντζίδης
Άλλες ερμηνείες: Γιάννης Κότσιρας / Σωκράτης Μάλαμας

Το μερτικό μου απ' τη χαρά
μου το 'χουν πάρει άλλοι
γιατί είχα χέρια καθαρά
και μια καρδιά μεγάλη

Θεέ μου τη δεύτερη φορά
που θα 'ρθω για να ζήσω
όσο η καρδιά κι αν λαχταρά
δε θα ξαν' αγαπήσω

Σαν θαλασσόδαρτο σκαρί
σαν βράχος ρημαγμένος
ήρθα σαν ξένος στη ζωή
και ξαναφεύγω ξένος

Θεέ μου τη δεύτερη φορά
που θα 'ρθω για να ζήσω
όσο η καρδιά κι αν λαχταρά
δε θα ξαν' αγαπήσω

[Natty]

Hi eracles, congratulations, hope you have a great wedding!

Okay, about the song (well songs), they're both a zembekiko dance (part of the old rembetika style), the first one is called 'To Zembekiko tis eudokias' the second is called 'Den tha ksana agapiso'. It's actually a general Greek dance, danced pretty much by all 'Greeks' (there is a specific Cypriot traditional folk version, which differs slightly, that is also danced at weddings, some men dance it when the 'Koumpari' are dancing). The dance is sort of like, 'the drunken mans dance', it's a improvised male dance (although women also dance it)

....The men who danced this dance, which I later learned was called the zembekiko, always appeared inebriated. They staggered about with their arms outstretched, a cigarette dangling from their lips, sometimes falling forward, then stopping short to quickly spin around. They waved their arms rhythmically from side to side while snapping their fingers, then slowly falling to their knees and bending over to grasp a glass of ouzo that had been placed on the floor in their teeth and tossing it down. They rose up, spun around, bowed, clapped their hands, jumped up and slapped their heels to cries of, “Opa!” and “Yasoo, manga!” Friends came up to toss handfuls of bills on the stage.

The zembekiko is most often danced by men. While the Greek women, too, will sometimes dance it, they usually perform it very differently. They dance around slowly and gracefully with arms outstretched, while the men seem to act out a kind of story. Theirs resembles a dance-pantomime – sometimes looking grief-stricken and forlorn, as if they had lost all with a roll of the dice, tossing everything into the air symbolically and turning away from it. Sometimes they looked self-amused and mischievous, offering up their personal Dionysian joy to the gods. Sometimes the dance was elegant and sexy, danced by any of the handsome young Greek men....


....Another Greek rhythm is called "zeybek" and is used in "zeymbekiko" music.
Zembekiko is a popular (traditional) Greek solo dance for men -- I have heard it described as "a guy dancing around a glass of ouzo on the floor looking like he's rolling dice" (this description is perhaps "tourist-ish").

Samra sent me a description from a Greek folk dance teacher: ...Zembekiko was born from Rembetika and came out of the war periods (20's - 40's). It was a way for people to express their pain - the songs then were all about hardship, poverty, loss, etc. (Now they are mostly songs about love songs - usually loss in love). The dance is traditionally done solo, usually with a hunched stance and often with a smoke in one hand and a drink in the other, representing the sorrow they feel and the fact that they're drowning it in drink.

It's an improvised dance. There are no set steps, it's a set style. Big leg kicks, lots of swaying, often low to the ground, arms outstretched and in a hunched stance, head bowed and eyes to the ground. Generally known as 'the drunk man's dance' among Greek people, but according to Mary this is erroneous. It comes from the history of Zembekiko (see above), but of course one does not need to be drunk to do it. ... It's not an ancient dance like other folk dances. It's like the blues of Greek dancing.


....The other dance you will see people dancing alone is the Zembekiko, or drunkard's dance. This also has no specific steps, but involves stumbling around precariously to the rhythm of the music. In the Zembekiko you will see several dancers down on one knee clapping around a particular dancer, and then they'll trade off. There are no rules. You can dance alone or you can join the clapping for someone else. As long as you're having fun, you're doing just fine.

Now go out and hit the dance floor. Opa!

You basically dance it with you arms outstretched, with plenty of turns...try and follow the beat...anyone can dance the zembekiko, whether your a good dancer or not, just enjoy yourself!

I hope that's helped! Have a Great day!

[eracles]

Thanks for your help Kifeas and Natty! Thanks especially to Natty for all the detailed info on the dance, it really helped.
The music was from my brothers wedding and I had to do a 'turn' on the dance floor, it was shameful, I didn't have a clue what to do.
The funny thing is I really love some greek music now whereas when I was younger I was put off it completely by my mum belting it out full blast in the car and translating every lyric for me

Anybody got any ideas where I can get some good recordings of these tracks, don't mind paying for a CD if it's good Actually I could probably ask my mum

[Natty]

Thanks for your help Kifeas and Natty! Thanks especially to Natty for all the detailed info on the dance, it really helped.
The music was from my brothers wedding and I had to do a 'turn' on the dance floor, it was shameful, I didn't have a clue what to do.
The funny thing is I really love some greek music now whereas when I was younger I was put off it completely by my mum belting it out full blast in the car and translating every lyric for me

Anybody got any ideas where I can get some good recordings of these tracks, don't mind paying for a CD if it's good Actually I could probably ask my mum

No problem eracles, it was my pleasure!

Where are based, because if your in Cyprus, just go to a Record store and they should have plenty, go for the 'laika', 'Zembekika', 'Rembetika', etc.. Style CD's, they should have the old stuff on them. I'm not too sure about elsewhere..I'm based in England but I tend to stock up whenever I go to Cyprus, although I have downloaded a few of the classics from the Internet. I'm sure they sell the records of the older generation Greek singers in Greek/Cypriot record stores as well. Just ask your mum, I'm sure she'll know all their names!

Oh and speaking of the dance Zembekiko, I came across some guy dancing it on Mytube..you didn't film yourself, by any chance, did you??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRzLKVbj ... ck%20white

[annaka]

George Massos made a CD called "George Massos Live" with guests that has some of the old songs and he is the owner of George's Restaurant in Palmers Green. One of his guest singers is Loukas Florides, who used to sing at many of the Greek Weddings. He could tell you if they are still available and where you could get a copy.
Regards Annaka

[Kartal_Aetos]

this is cool...This is also a turkish music and is called Zeybek also...My favourite greek sembekiko track has to be Antonis Remos - Monos Mou...

[Natty]

this is cool...This is also a turkish music and is called Zeybek also...My favourite greek sembekiko track has to be Antonis Remos - Monos Mou...

Just shows how very similar we are!

[eracles]

No problem eracles, it was my pleasure!

Where are based, because if your in Cyprus, just go to a Record store and they should have plenty, go for the 'laika', 'Zembekika', 'Rembetika', etc.. Style CD's, they should have the old stuff on them. I'm not too sure about elsewhere..I'm based in England but I tend to stock up whenever I go to Cyprus, although I have downloaded a few of the classics from the Internet. I'm sure they sell the records of the older generation Greek singers in Greek/Cypriot record stores as well. Just ask your mum, I'm sure she'll know all their names!

Oh and speaking of the dance Zembekiko, I came across some guy dancing it on Mytube..you didn't film yourself, by any chance, did you??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRzLKVbj ... ck%20white

Hi Natty, i'm up north in Leeds but I wish i was in Cyprus
Anyway I could upload a youtube video of my entire extended family laughing at me trying to dance but I'm burning up at the thought of it Next year I will post my much improved version which I'll be doing for my wedding!

Thanks for the CD suggestions, any Turkish Zeybek recommendations, wouldn't mind checking it out too...

[Kartal_Aetos]

hmm...the similar ones are the Cypriot ones... my favourites are Sarhos Zeybegi and Kibris Zeybegi

and hey, i forgot on the first post...Congratulations on the wedding, mate