Η συναυλία – αφιέρωμα στην μουσική ζωή της Ρόζας Εσκενάζυ ,της κορυφαίας ερμηνεύτριας του ρεμπέτικου και του σμυρναίικου τραγουδιού θα πραγματοποιηθεί σήμερα (τρήτη) 16 Μαρτίου στην Μουσική σκηνή “STAGE” στις 21:00.
Στη συναυλία παίζει 12μελής ορχήστρα Ελλήνων, Τούρκων και Ισραηλινών μουσικών, οι οποίοι θα παρουσιάσουν τη χωρίς σύνορα μουσική της Ρόζας Εσκενάζυ, σε μια βραδιά ξεχωριστών γυναικείων φωνών που θα ερμηνεύσουν τα αξέχαστα τραγούδια της Ρόζας στα ελληνικά, τα τουρκικά και τα σεφαραδίτικα.στο τραγούδι η τραγουδίστρια Yasmin Levi.
Η συναυλία θα κινηματογραφηθεί από τον σκηνοθέτης τον Roy Sher και θα αποτελέσει τμήμα του μουσικού ντοκιμαντέρ με τίτλο “Καναρίνι μου γλυκό”.
Παίρνουν μέρος οι μουσικοί:
Mehtap Demir (Τουρκία),
Μαρία Κώτη (Ελλάδα),
Martha D. Lewis (Βρετανία/ Ελλάδα)
και στο τραγούδι ως επίσημη προσκεκλημένη η Yasmin Levy (Ισραήλ).
My sweet Canary’
– A director’s statement’ A film by Roy Sher I first heard the name ‘Roza Eskenazy’ in a small joint in Jerusalem, about six years ago, where an Israeli group played Rebetiko music.
A Tribute concert that was held in her memory in the ‘Jerusalem Oudh Festival’ and in which her amazing, but also tragic life story was shortly told, got me even more curious and I started to research her life and listen carefully to her music.
The fact that Roza was, in so many aspects, forgotten and taken out of the musical and cultural Canon of the region she rose to fame in, was the reason for me to go on this journey, to try and find out who she was and why 80 years after her glorious days young people, without knowing it, are still dancing to the sound of her music. Roza’s life was documented poorly.
Actually- the only 2 main sources left for us to begin our search with, were a short biography that was published after her death and, of course, her approximately, 500 recorded songs. It was important for me to tell Roza’s story with a personal interpretation, like the one she had given to each of the songs she sang. I also knew that Roza’s music must play a dominant role in the film. When Roza left Greece to America in 1952, she registered in the Alice Island Immigration offices.
I managed to find the original registration document, I saw something that immediately caught my eye: everyone on the ship that Roza was on was listed under their nationality: Greek, Turkish, Syrian Etc. Only next to Roza’s name the writing was: “Nation less”.
As soon as I saw this document I understood that the fact that Roza never “belonged” anywhere, that is, she was a Turkish Jew that rose to fame in Greece and then, also, immigrated to America, was perhaps the reason she was so special, but also, the reason she was forgotten.
The three musicians I met during my research and that later will become the leading characters in the Film’s musical path brought, in a unique synergy, something that has made me feel close to the musical and cultural spirit of Roza. In this film I will try to paint an audio-visual portrait of the colorful people and places I will meet in my journey to find Roza Eskenazy:
her relatives, neighbors, fans, as well as musicians who play her music in the classic, original way, and musicians that give it a new and modern interpretation.
I will try to capture the beauty of the land, both the cities and urban areas, as well as the underground music venues we will film in, with whom the Rebetiko music is identified, and out in the country and open areas where our journey, following Roza’s story, will lead us.
