Yiorgos Batis
Encyclopedia
Yiorgos Batis (1885 – 10 March 1967) was one of the first rebetes
influential to rebetiko
music. His real name was Yiorgos Tsoros although he was known as Yiorgos Ampatis. He had a great love for music and music instruments (bouzouki
, baglamas, etc.).
in 1885 and moved to Piraeus
when he was very young.
He served in the Greek army from 1912 to 1918. In the mid-1920s, he opened a music school called "Carmen". He opened a café
named "Georges Baté" in 1931 and formed one of the most important scenes of rebetiko music. He continued to work as a quack-salesman, improvising drugs for painful teeth and other minor ailments. He kept a collection of many instruments and also used to name them. In 1933, Yiorgos Batis did his first sound-recording with bouzouki in Greece
. In the 1930s, he dedicated himself solely to music and collaborated closely with, among others, Markos Vamvakaris
in the rebetiko band ("kompania") called I Tetras i Xakousti tou Peiraios (Η τετράς η ξακουστή του Πειραιώς) --the Famous Quartet of Pireos. However, it did not light up the charts. He appeared in Alekos Sakelariou's film "Oi papatzides (Οι παπατζήδες)" (1954). He died on March 10, 1967.
Rebetes
A rebetis is a musician involved in the scene of the Greek musical genre of rebetiko, which flourished between 1920 and 1955.Prominent rebetes include:*Rita Abatzi*Babis Tsertos*Yiorgos Batis*Sotiria Bellou...
influential to 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...
music. His real name was Yiorgos Tsoros although he was known as Yiorgos Ampatis. He had a great love for music and music instruments (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...
, baglamas, etc.).
Biography
He was born in MethanaMethana
Methana is a town and a former municipality on the Peloponnese peninsula, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Troizinia, of which it is a municipal unit....
in 1885 and moved to 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....
when he was very young.
He served in the Greek army from 1912 to 1918. In the mid-1920s, he opened a music school called "Carmen". He opened a café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
named "Georges Baté" in 1931 and formed one of the most important scenes of rebetiko music. He continued to work as a quack-salesman, improvising drugs for painful teeth and other minor ailments. He kept a collection of many instruments and also used to name them. In 1933, Yiorgos Batis did his first sound-recording with bouzouki in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. In the 1930s, he dedicated himself solely to music and collaborated closely with, among others, Markos Vamvakaris
Markos Vamvakaris
Markos Vamvakaris , was a rebetiko musician. He is universally referred to by rebetiko writers and fans simply by his first name, Markos...
in the rebetiko band ("kompania") called I Tetras i Xakousti tou Peiraios (Η τετράς η ξακουστή του Πειραιώς) --the Famous Quartet of Pireos. However, it did not light up the charts. He appeared in Alekos Sakelariou's film "Oi papatzides (Οι παπατζήδες)" (1954). He died on March 10, 1967.
