The 8th Rebetiko Festival "Syra of Markos Vamvakaris" will be held from 28 August until 1 September, 2024, welcoming enthusiasts of the genre from Greece and around the world.
Focusing on the female figures that made a lasting impact on rebetiko as performers, creators, musicians, muses, or influential presences, the 8th Rebetiko Festival aims to highlight the social conditions and contexts related to women's involvement in rebetiko. This includes their roles in challenging societal norms and embracing diverse behaviors, attitudes, and expressions. These contributions should be understood in their historical context, as they reflect a different era and set of circumstances. While much has been said and written on this topic—some of it accurate and some not—it is clear that these women, in a predominantly male-dominated environment, had the courage and skill to assert their place in popular music, poetry, and society at large.
Another aspect of this theme is the depiction of women in rebetiko lyrics. Women are portrayed in various roles: as mother, sister, daughter, worker, immigrant, companion, and fighter, as well as being characterized as punitive, feminist, subversive, and independent. Each role carries its own unique significance.
The Rebetiko Festival "Syra of Markos Vamvakaris" was first organized in 2016 to celebrate Syros' connection with urban folk music, rebetiko, which has been an integral part of the island’s cultural heritage since the early 20th century. The festival also honors the legacy of Markos Vamvakaris, a pioneering composer and one of the foremost figures in rebetiko, whose contributions helped to bring this musical genre and the island of Syros to international prominence.
Rebetiko music was added to the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2015, and it was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2017. In 2020, rebetiko was also included in the study program at New York University. Additionally, the Festival 'Syra of Markos Vamvakaris' has been listed in the European Festivals directory and has received the EFFE LABEL.
The Festival is co-organised by the Municipality of Syros-Ermoupolis and the Cycladic Development Company (KETAN), the non-profit organization of the Chamber of Cyclades.
