Ríta Abadzí

With her "smoky, sensuous, contralto" vocals set to the melodic strains of oud and gypsy-esque violin, Rita Abadzi was one of the most successful rembetika (acoustic Greek blues) during the '30s. Her first recordings in 1932 followed the initial releases of her contemporary, Roza Eskenazi, by two years. Throughout the '30s, recordings by Abadzi and Eskenazi were combined and released as double-sided singles. As the popularity of rembetika waned in the '40s, Abadzi faded from the limelight. ~ Craig Harris