Rebetiko & Deviance

Thursday, May 27, 2026

Kostis Gotsinas, Tassos Theofilou & Dimitris Yfantis

The fourth and final event in this series will examine what is perhaps the most popular and legendary aspect of the history of rebetiko, beyond the music itself: that of delinquency. Once again, the central focus of the discussion is the relationship between rebetiko and the social conditions of the era, with transgression presented as the only way forward in an environment composed mainly of the most impoverished and working-class social strata. In what ways did the figure of the outlaw emerge within rebetiko, and how did it acquire its mythical characteristics? How did this intersect with the repression of the era, the social and political context, addictive substances, and, ultimately, why did this trend dominate rebetiko?