Iovan Tsaous
Encyclopedia
Iovan Tsaous , was a Greek
musician and composer of rebetiko
songs from Pontus
. His real name was Yiannis Eitziridis or Etseiridis (Γιάννης Εϊτζιρίδης or Ετσειρίδης).
on Turkey's Black Sea coast. As a citizen of the Ottoman Empire
he completed his military service in the Ottoman army, attaining the rank of sergeant
. After the Asia Minor catastrophe, he came to Greece
as a refugee and settled in Piraeus
. He worked initially as a tailor for some years, before opening an ouzeri. He and his wife died in 1942 of food poisoning during the famine caused by the Italo-German occupation
. Much of the information on his life comes from descendants of his sister-in-law.
by the luthier
Kyriakos Peismatoglou, and differed in one important respect from other plucked long-necked lute
s in use in Greece at this time, in that they were not fretted according to the equal temperament division of the octave into twelve identical semitones. Instead they had sixteen frets to the octave, which permitted, among other things, the playing of microtonally different intervals such as the so-called three-quarter tone, and the neutral third, at certain positions on the fretboard. We know of at least three instruments, of which two have survived to the present day. The smallest was called baglamas although it did not resemble the instrument known by that name in the rebetiko context, being considerably larger, and in fact rather corresponding to what Greeks call tzourás
. The next in size was called sázi, which had approximately the same vibrating string length as a bouzouki
. Finally there was an instrument whose identity is still obscure. It is to be heard very clearly playing an introductory taxim
to the song Diamánto alaniára (Διαμάντω αλανιάρα), during which is to be heard the exclamation Γιά σου Γιοβάν Τσαούς με το ταμπούρη σού (approx: Hi there Yovan Tsaous with your tambouri). What this tambouri actually was we may never know. It sounds as though it is a fretless instrument, with perhaps a parchment head rather than a soundboard of wood. It appears that Tsaous was almost alone in playing these particular instruments; the fact that they did not produce equally tempered intervals made them problematic in ensemble work, and this is readily audible in his recordings, which have a unique sound. He appears to have had at least one co-musician who played similarly tuned instruments, namely one G. Kikídis (gr. Γ. Κικίδης) who is given as playing bouzouki on a record label, but whose instrument pitches exactly in parallel with Tsaous' baglamas and does not sound like a bouzouki.
A further two songs were credited to Panagiotis Tountas, one more to Giorgos Kamvisis. The first six were sung by Antonis Kalyvopoulos, the following eight by Stellakis, and the last by Roza Eskenazi
. Tsaous was band leader on at least the first twelve songs. He played three different instruments on his recordings (see previous section), none of which was a bouzouki, although the record labels often mention bouzoukia.
Tsaous' wife Katerina Charmoutzi (Κατερίνα Χαρμουτζή) was probably involved in writing the lyrics of Tsaous' songs.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
musician and composer of rebetiko
Rebetiko
Rebetiko, plural rebetika, , occasionally transliterated as Rembetiko, is a term used today to designate originally disparate kinds of urban Greek folk music which have come to be grouped together since the so-called rebetika revival, which started in the 1960s and developed further from the early...
songs from Pontus
Pontus
Pontus or Pontos is a historical Greek designation for a region on the southern coast of the Black Sea, located in modern-day northeastern Turkey. The name was applied to the coastal region in antiquity by the Greeks who colonized the area, and derived from the Greek name of the Black Sea: Πόντος...
. His real name was Yiannis Eitziridis or Etseiridis (Γιάννης Εϊτζιρίδης or Ετσειρίδης).
Biography
Tsaous was born in 1893 in Kastamonu, PontusKastamonu
Kastamonu is the capital district of the Kastamonu Province, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 102,059 of which 64,606 live in the urban center of Kastamonu. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of...
on Turkey's Black Sea coast. As a citizen of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
he completed his military service in the Ottoman army, attaining the rank of sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. After the Asia Minor catastrophe, he came to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
as a refugee and settled in Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
. He worked initially as a tailor for some years, before opening an ouzeri. He and his wife died in 1942 of food poisoning during the famine caused by the Italo-German occupation
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
. Much of the information on his life comes from descendants of his sister-in-law.
Instruments
Yovan Tsaous is particularly noted for the unique instruments he played. They were custom-built for him in PiraeusPiraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
by the luthier
Luthier
A luthier is someone who makes or repairs lutes and other string instruments. In the United States, the term is used interchangeably with a term for the specialty of each maker, such as violinmaker, guitar maker, lute maker, etc...
Kyriakos Peismatoglou, and differed in one important respect from other plucked long-necked lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
s in use in Greece at this time, in that they were not fretted according to the equal temperament division of the octave into twelve identical semitones. Instead they had sixteen frets to the octave, which permitted, among other things, the playing of microtonally different intervals such as the so-called three-quarter tone, and the neutral third, at certain positions on the fretboard. We know of at least three instruments, of which two have survived to the present day. The smallest was called baglamas although it did not resemble the instrument known by that name in the rebetiko context, being considerably larger, and in fact rather corresponding to what Greeks call tzourás
Tzouras
The Tzouras , is a stringed musical instrument from Greece. It is related to the Bouzouki.It has 6 strings in 3 courses and is tuned D3 D4, A3 A3, D4 D4 or D4 D3, A3 A3, D4 D4. The strings are made of steel.-See also:*Greek musical instruments...
. The next in size was called sázi, which had approximately the same vibrating string length as a bouzouki
Bouzouki
The bouzouki , is a musical instrument with Greek origin in the lute family. A mainstay of modern Greek music, the front of the body is flat and is usually heavily inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The instrument is played with a plectrum and has a sharp metallic sound, reminiscent of a mandolin but...
. Finally there was an instrument whose identity is still obscure. It is to be heard very clearly playing an introductory taxim
Taxim
Taxim may refer to:*Taksim Square in Istanbul, TurkeyIn music:*TAXIM, a German Aggrotech project...
to the song Diamánto alaniára (Διαμάντω αλανιάρα), during which is to be heard the exclamation Γιά σου Γιοβάν Τσαούς με το ταμπούρη σού (approx: Hi there Yovan Tsaous with your tambouri). What this tambouri actually was we may never know. It sounds as though it is a fretless instrument, with perhaps a parchment head rather than a soundboard of wood. It appears that Tsaous was almost alone in playing these particular instruments; the fact that they did not produce equally tempered intervals made them problematic in ensemble work, and this is readily audible in his recordings, which have a unique sound. He appears to have had at least one co-musician who played similarly tuned instruments, namely one G. Kikídis (gr. Γ. Κικίδης) who is given as playing bouzouki on a record label, but whose instrument pitches exactly in parallel with Tsaous' baglamas and does not sound like a bouzouki.
Works
Tsaous is to be heard on at least fifteen recordings made between 1936 and 1937. The first twelve songs listed below were his own compositions. These songs have a truly idiosyncratic character, and resemble no other songs of the period in their melodic language, their subtle use of metre, and their use of intervals unusual in contemporary recordings.A further two songs were credited to Panagiotis Tountas, one more to Giorgos Kamvisis. The first six were sung by Antonis Kalyvopoulos, the following eight by Stellakis, and the last by Roza Eskenazi
Roza Eskenazi
Roza Eskenazi was a famous Jewish-Greek singer of rebetiko and Greek folk music born in Constantinople , whose recording and stage career extended from the late 1920s into the 1970s....
. Tsaous was band leader on at least the first twelve songs. He played three different instruments on his recordings (see previous section), none of which was a bouzouki, although the record labels often mention bouzoukia.
- Pénte mánges ston Piréa (Πέντε μάγκες στον Πειραία) – Five mangesMangasManges is the name of a social group in the Belle Époque era's counterculture of Greece . The nearest English equivalent to the term mangas is wide boy, or spiv...
in Piraeus - Iovan Tsaous (Γιοβάν Τσαούς)
- Paraponioúnte i mánges (Παραπονιούνται οι μάγκες) – The manges are complaining
- Katádikos (Κατάδικος) – Convict
- I Eleni i zontochira (Η Ελένη η ζωντοχήρα) – 'leni the divorcée
- O Prezákias (Ο πρεζάκιας) – The Junkie
- Vlámissa (Βλάμισσα) – Girlfriend
- Diamánto alaniára (Διαμάντω αλανιάρα) – Diamanto, tramp
- Gelasménos (Γελασμένος) – Fooled
- Mángissa (Μάγκισσα) – Mángas girl
- Se mia mikroúla (Σε μια μικρούλα) – To a little girl
- Drosáti Pelopónnisos (Δροσάτη Πελοπόννησος) – In the cool Peloponnese
- Egó thélo pringipéssa (Εγώ θέλω πριγκηπέσσα) – I want a princess (Panagiotis Tountas)
- I Varvára (Η Βαρβάρα) (Toundas) – Barbara (Panagiotis Tountas)
- Yia na kséreis (Γιά να ξέρεις) – You ought to know (Giorgos Kamvisis)
Tsaous' wife Katerina Charmoutzi (Κατερίνα Χαρμουτζή) was probably involved in writing the lyrics of Tsaous' songs.
External links
- http://www.rembetiko.gr/forum/messages/130/1438.html