A Digital Art Anthology 1821 StudioInc

To better understand the Rebetiko music, we will begin our magical journey by setting the time-machine back in time, during the years of Ancient Greek civilization, the Byzantium Empire era, and the years of the Ottoman Empire's occupation, until Greece declaration of independence in 1821.

We find the oldest ancestor of the three course Rebetiko bouzouki, in Ancient Greece.

Its name is Pandura (or Pandoura or Pandourida), a medium or long-necked lute with a small wooden resonator, carrying three single strings, (also known as the trichordon).

In August of 1887, archaeologist Gustave Fougeres, after long excavations at Mantineia Greece, discovered three ancient Greek bas relief, marble plaques, dating back in 4th century BC.

One of the plaques represents three muses, with one of the them playing the Pandoura string instrument. During the years of Byzantine empire, in the medieval Greece times, Pandoura's descendant survived as Thaboura, or Thabouri, or Thavouri.

And later, during the occupation of Greece by Ottoman empire, the three strings instrument is being called Tampouras. (Tambouras). [...]