In the late 1960s and early 1970s –– as the right-wing military junta that ruled Greece began to lose its hold on the population — young musicians started rediscovering classic era rebetiko, in part for its anti-establishment underpinnings.
Among the pioneers who started the old music on its road to renewed popularity was The Rebetiki Company, four young Athenians who got together to play the old music in the old way. Manolis Dimitrianakis, Giorgos Kontogiannis, his brother Dimitris Kontogiannis, and Andreas Tsekouras were the original members.
The four gained a following among young Greek on the basis of their first album, featuring songs that hadn’t been heard in the country for several decades. Several other groups followed, and a rebetiko revival gained ground.
The group primarily played concerts – as opposed to taverns – and tours. New members came and went, and the original members went on to other musical endeavours, coming back together and with others when needed to record four albums. (Dimitris Kontogiannis has had a long and continuing career as a singer of rebetiko and folk music. He still performs and records.)
How Will the Evening Go was written by Giannis Papaioannou in 1951.
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