Originally Posted by
vkioulaphides
Greetings, all.
Here is my translation of an article on Greek Wikipedia, on this notable Greek mandolinist of yesteryear. (By way of disclaimer, I can neither confirm nor refute any of the content; I only offer a hopefully readable English equivalent.)
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Spyros Peristeris was a Greek musician and composer from Asia Minor. He was born in Smyrna in 1900, the son of a Greek father and an Italian mother. He started learning to play the mandolin since childhood and, after his family's relocation to Constantinople (around 1915), he managed to finish the Scuola Italiana, having learned both Italian and German.
After Siderís' death (1918), he returned to Smyrna and, at the age of 18, succeeded him in the leadership of the Smyrnean Estudiantina, which had become known across Europe and remained known as "Ta Politakia". That is the name he used in the early '30s when, playing in the orchestra of the ocean-liner Alexander the Great, he recorded some instrumental pieces in the USA, under the stage-name S. Georgiades.
His discographical debut actually began in 1934 with a series of rebetika, such as "The knight", "The Bohemian", "Oh, aman", "Ta belederia", "O teketzis", and "O magas tou votanikou" with Zacharias Katsimatis.
Spyros Peristeris was the one who, almost by force, got Markos Vamvakaris to record his own voice when, in 1933, the first commercial recording of bouzouki-music was made on vinyl. Peristeris is a member of the orchestra in many recordings by Vamvakaris, where the triumvirate of Markos and Peristeris on bouzoukis and Kostas Skarvelis on guitar was incomparable.
Some of Peristeris' songs became hits, as sung by Vamvakaris. ("O Antonis, o varkaris, o seretis", "Maria Madalena", "To minore tis avgis") Some extant songs under his name as composer, and that of Minos Matsas as lyricist are actually works of others, yet without any proof of deliberate infringement on his part.
Peristeris played all fretted instruments excellently, and also piano, accordion, and double bass. He married in 1921 and had two sons. He died in April of 1966 in Athens.
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I would be happy to offer contextual commentary, if needed. All I can say for now is that, yes, those songs are not only well-known; they were iconic in 20th-century Greek culture.
Cheers,
Victor
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