{1}Daily Traditional Music{1}

I would like to start this series posts of with one of my favourite songs from Constantinopoly (Before it became Istanbul).

Ouzo Otan Peies (Ouzo, when you drink.)
Though Covered by Hundreds of people, the earliest recording went was in 1934, when Musician and Lyricists, Sosos Ioannidis and Emilios Savidis, teamed up with Greek Singer, Rosa Eskenazi to create "Preza Otan Pieis", which had become such a national hit that it had been covered by so many that many other versions became avaliable, and the song became known by various names including: "Diki mas i Ellas" "Prezakias" "Ouzo Otan Pieis" Etc.

Eskenazi and Savidis were both Born and raised in Constantinopoly, while Ioannidis was originally from Smyrna and later moved to Athens. How they met is unknown to me, but I do know what the song means. It's a satirical tale of Drunks, how many escape the (at the time) current state of greece, by drinking theirselves proudly to pure intoxication. Ouzo is the national home-made drink of Greece, along with Tsipouro, so as a guy who drinks ouzo, It's a "drink with caution" type of deal.

This is a cover by Komsiler, a modern band from modern-day Constantinople, now known as Istanbul. I felt it appropriate to stay true to its home, and tbf, their for Turks, their Greek is pretty good. Perhaps it's coz CONSTANTINOPOLI IS GREECE! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOH
Jk. Turks, Greeks, and Cyprus have a complicated sibling rivalry, and it's all governmental conflict. The people, You and I, just tend to get roped into this shitshow, when we should just be drinking Ouzo and forgetting all about it, just having a good time.