MISIRLOU
Created on 29/05/2008Latest update on 09/03/2024
Artist: Tetos Demetriadis
Author: Nicos Roubanis
Label: Columbia
Year: 1927
Greek rebetiko tenor from Constantinopel who emigrated to the US in 1921. Author Roubanis moved from Egypt to the US in 1925. Re-issued on cd To Rempetiko Tragoudi Stin Ameriki 1920-1945 (FM Records). Means Woman From Misr, where Misr is Arabic for Egypt; it's about a forbidden love between a Greek (christian) man and an Egyptian (muslim) girl. Prior to 1900 many ethnic Greeks were spread all over the Ottoman territory (Turkey, the Levant and Egypt). Popular song among the Greek enclaves of Cairo, Smyrna (Izmir) and Constantinopel, where the rebetiko style took root before settling in Greek harbor cities Piraeus and Thessaloniki. It's a dance on Crete, while there's also Armenian and Klezmer variations.
Covers:
- 1930:
Michalis Patrinos [as Mousourloum on Columbia; played it with his rebetiko band in Athens since 1927; reissued on box set Mnimes I Mousiki Skini Tou Smirneikou Tragoudiou 1907-1939 (Lyra)]
- 1930:
Danae Stratigopoulou [on Greek Archives, Vol 8: Armenians, Jews, Turks & Gipsies in Old Recordings, reissued on FM Records]
- 1930s:
Jack Mayesh [in Yiddish]
- 1940:
Nicolas Matthey & his Oriental Orch. [on Decca as Misirlou (Turkish Dance), very likely the author Nicolas Roubanis using an alias; he was a troubadour in Atlantic City with Greek roots and the first who claimed authorship over this tune; his version fell in the familiar oriental mode]
- 1941:
- 1941:
Mitchell Ayres [vocal: Meredith Blake; English lyrics by Bob Russell/Fred Wise/Milton Leeds]
- 1941:
Woody Herman [also with English lyrics]
- 1941:
Harry James [instrumental]
- 1941:
Xavier Cugat [on Columbia]
- 1946:
- 1947:
- 1947:
- 1948:
Maestro Clovis [Libanese as Ya Amal]
- 1950s:
Rabbi Aboulafia [Harry Smith recording in Yiddish suggesting an even older descent]
- 1950s:
- 1951:
Dario Moreno [French version]
- 1952:
- 1955:
Cardinals [doowop version]
- 1958:
- 1958:
Earl Washington [R&B on Checker]
- 1959:
- 1959:
- 1960:
- 1962:
Dick Dale & The Del-Tones [first version as surf instrumental, also in film Pulp Fiction; first recording with Fender Stratocaster, reverb and Dual Showman amp; Dale's father and uncles had been musicians in Libanon]
- 1962:
- 1962:
- 1962:
- 1962:
- 1962:
- 1962:
- 1962:
Ray Maxwell [alias René Van Hoogten, founder of Moonglow, Rocco Granata's first label]
- 1963:
- 1963:
- 1963:
- 1963:
- 1963:
- 1963:
- 1963:
- 1964:
- 1965:
- 1976:
- 1981:
- 1990s:
- 1993:
- 1995:
- 1995:
Rachid Taha [French drum & bass as Jungle Friction]
- 1997:
- 1998:
- 1999:
- 2000:
- 2001:
Kronos Quartet [as Misirlou Twist]
- 2001:
- 2004:
Anna Vissi [during closing ceremony Athens Olympics]
- 2005:
Black Eyed Peas [sample Dick Dale's version in Pump It]
- 2007:
Kosmos [on Beginner's Guide To Greece]
