Everyone knows about the tragic burning of Smyrna in 1922 in which so many lost their lives or became refugees. Before that horrible event, Smyrna was a thriving community of Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Turks, living side by side and sharing music, dance and even language. These refugees from Asia Minor when they reached the shores of mainland Greece brought with them a different musical tradition, filled with sounds of the Ottoman empire. Their music recalls the suffering of displaced people and recognizes the complex blending of cultures that created it.
