Iovan Tsaous

Iovan Tsaous (1893 - 1942, Greek: Γιοβάν Τσαούς) was a Greek musician and composer of rebetiko music. His real name was Yiannis Eitziridis or Etseiridis ("Γιάννης Εϊτζιρίδης" or "Ετσειρίδης").

Biography

Iovan Tsaous was born in 1893 and was from Kastamonu in Pontus. As an Ottoman Empire citizen he did his army service in the Military of the Ottoman Empire with the rank of a sergeant (Yovan or Yaman is the Turkish version of the name Yiannis and çavuş is the Turkish word for sergeant). After the Asia Minor catastrophe, he came to Greece as a refugee and settled at Piraeus where he worked as a shoemaker. He died in 1942 of poisoning.

Works

He has recorded the following thirteen songs which are his own compositions (except one by Panagiotis Tountas), sang by Stellakis Perpiniadis and Antonis Kalyvopoulos, with him leader of the band and playing the bouzouki.

*"Pénte mánges ston Peréa" ("Πέντε μάγκες στον Περαία") -- "Five tramps in Pireas"
*"Vlámissa" ("Βλάμισσα") -- "She-comrade"
*"Diamánto alaniára" ("Διαμάντω αλανιάρα") -- "Wandering Diamanto"
*"Tsaoús/Iovan Tsaous" ("Τσαούς")
*"Gelasménos" ("Γελασμένος") -- "Fooled"
*"Parapolioúnte y mánges" ("Παραπονιούνται οι μάγκες") -- "The tramps are whining"
*"Katádikos" ("Κατάδικος") -- "Convict"
*"Mángissa" ("Μάγκισσα") -- "She-tramp"
*"Se mia mikroúla" ("Σε μια μικρούλα") -- "To a little girl"
*"I Eleni i zontochira" ("Η Ελένη η ζωντοχήρα") -- "Eleni, the grass-widow"
*"O Prezákias" ("Ο πρεζάκιας") -- "The junky"
*"Drosáti Pelopónnisos" ("Δροσάτη Πελοπόννησος") -- "Cool Peloponnese"

*"Egó Thélo Pringipéssa" ("Εγώ θέλω πριγκηπέσσα") by Panagiotis Tountas-- "I Want a Princess"

It is said that his wife Katerina Charmoutzi ("Κατερίνα Χαρμουτζή") helped in writing his songs.

External links

*http://www.rembetiko.gr/forum/messages/130/1438.html