Giorgos Katsaros’s life spanned almost a century of rebetiko music-making — he played his last concerts when he was reportedly 107.
He was born on the island of Amorgos, and moved to Athens when he was five after the death of his father. In 1913, he emigrated to the United States, where he lived for the rest of his life. He was performing in New York area clubs shortly after arriving, and he signed his first record contract in 1918.
Katsaros was self-taught on guitar. His playing style (plucking melody and rhythm with his fingers while playing bass notes with his thumb) allowed him to play without other musicians. He was probably the most important rebetiko lyricist and composer in the U.S. and was hugely popular outside America, particularly in Greece. He performed a wide range of music, but he influenced a lot of classic era rebetiko. (There are a number of guitarists in Greece now who have recorded rebetiko and show the influence of Katsaros, especially Dimitris Mystakidis).
Why Don’t You Tell Us, adapted by Katsaros from a traditional song, was recorded in 1928.
Leave a Reply