A Portrait
George Dalaras has been described as the Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen of Greece, but this hardly does him justice. From his beginnings as a protest singer in the 1960s, he has dominated the Greek pop world, and has been instrumental in keeping the music true to its roots. His own roots are in rembetiko, the "Greek blues" of the port city slums; which he mixes with smirneiko, the eastern sound of Greek immigrants from Turkey, and laiko, the mainstream of Greek pop. His voice has an Arabic suppleness and soul, backed by wailing reeds, strings, and jauntily tinkling bouzoukis. He favors an acoustic sound, but dares to take chances. This anthology, split evenly between studio and live tracks (and including a fine guest spot by Paco de Lucia), is an excellent introduction to his work.--Elijah Wald