Papagika, Marika – “Further The Flame, The Worse It Burns Me, The” – [Mississippi Records]

victoria west   1/11/2012   12-inch, International

Marika Papagika was born on 1890 on the island of Kos, emigrating to the U.S. in 1915. She recorded about 225 performances between 1918 and 1929. On this album we can hear the Greek folk tunes sung by Marika and only accompanied either by a violin, clarinet or percussion. I can also hear a bit of blues as well. This album is very simple and you can definitely hear the vintage sound of the recordings throughout the album. Included is an extensive liner booklet on what little photos and information there is left of Marika’s life. You will also find descriptions on each song and some translations of certain verses. Very pleasant tunes.

-victoria west*