Dimitris Atreides recorded a couple of dozen recordings through the 1930s, making his mark as a fine Smyrneika-style rebetiko performer and composer.
Atreides was born in 1900 near Smyrna to a farming family. It’s reported that when the Turks drove the Greeks out of Asia Minor in 1922, he fled to the mountains and fought briefly as a guerrilla before being captured and sent to Greece.
Atreides, who had performed as an amateur singer, began taking music seriously in Piraeus, learning to play santouri and meeting rebetiko composers and performers in Piraeus. He made his first recording in 1929, recording an amanades and a traditional Asia Minor song.
He continued to record throughout the 1930s – switching from santouri to guitar. While many of the recordings were amanades, Astreidis also recorded the works of the then-current composers of early rebetiko, as well writing a handful of songs of his own. As Smyrneika-style rebetiko died out, his public output faltered, with only a handful of records between 1946 and 1952. He became a shop owner and opened a school of traditional music, mainly for young students.
New Widow, released in 1934 is Smyrneika-style rebetiko, complete with the improvised oud taxim and manes section, and the oud and violin instrumentation. It is one of the relatively few recordings of the time to also feature clarinet.
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