Various - Aman Aman LP

$24.98

Intensely expressive free-verse vocal laments unfold over sliding violins, hammered santouri, guitar, and oud - capturing the hybrid Mediterranean sound of the early 20th century. “Aman Aman,” cry the singers on these recordings, preserved on 78rpm discs cut between 1911 and 1935. Roughly translating to “mercy,” the phrase conveys despair, joy, and admiration all at once - a full emotional spectrum often transmitted within a single performance.

Some of the artists featured are legends; others were nearly lost to time. Nearly half are female vocalists, a vital presence within the Café Aman tradition but one rarely represented on contemporary releases. All were shaped by the upheavals surrounding the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1923 and the forced migrations between Greece and Turkey. Their songs reflect these journeys: devastating poems of lost love and lost homelands, performed by some of the era’s finest musicians.

Deeply researched over several years, the collection presents the powerful voices of Antonis “Dalgas” Diamantidis, Sofrouniou, and Stellakis Perpiniadis, alongside revelatory recordings by previously undocumented artists. Carefully remastered by Jordan McLeod at Osiris Studio, the LP includes extensive historical and discographical notes by Stavros Kourousis and poetic lyric translations by Tony Klein. Pressed on high-quality vinyl at Smashed Plastic in Chicago and co-released with Olvido Records.