Yiorgos Batis
Yiorgos Batis (Greek: Γιώργος Μπάτης, also Giorgos Batis) (1885 – 10 March 1967) was one of the first rebetes influential to rebetiko music. His real name was Yiorgos Tsoros although he was known as Yiorgos Ampatis. He had a great love for music and musical instruments (baglamas, bouzouki, etc.).
Yiorgos Batis Γιώργος Μπάτης | |
|---|---|
 Yiorgos Batis in the 1930s. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Yiorgos Tsoros (Γιώργος Τσώρος) |
| Also known as | Yiorgos Ampatis |
| Born | c. 1885 Methana |
| Died | 10 March 1967 (aged 81–82) |
| Genres |  Rebetiko |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, song-writer |
| Instrument(s) | Baglamas, Bouzouki |
Life and career
He was born in Methana in 1885 and moved to Piraeus when he was very young.[1]
He served in the Greek army from 1912 to 1918. In the mid-1920s, he opened a music school called "Carmen". He opened a café named "Georges Baté" in 1931 and formed one of the most important scenes of rebetiko music. He continued to work as a quack-salesman, improvising drugs for painful teeth and other minor ailments. He kept a collection of many instruments and also used to name them. In 1933, Yiorgos Batis did his first sound-recording with bouzouki in Greece. In the 1930s, he dedicated himself solely to music and collaborated closely with Anestis Delias, Markos Vamvakaris, and Stratos Pagioumtzis in a rebetiko band (Greek: Η τετράς η ξακουστή του Πειραιώς, romanized: I Tetras i Xakousti tou Peiraios, lit. 'the Famous Quartet of Piraeus').[1][2]
He appeared in Alekos Sakelariou's 1954 film (Greek: Οι παπατζήδες, romanized: Oi papatzides, lit. 'The Priests'). He died in Piraeus on March 10, 1967.[1][3]
References
- "Γιωργοσ Τσωροσ ή Γιωργοσ Μπατησ – Αμπατησ" [George Tsoros or George Batis - Abatis]. ΒΑΣΙΛΗΣ ΠΑΝ. ΚΟΥΤΟΥΖΗΣ (in Greek). 2012-11-03. Archived from the original on 2022-11-26. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
- Holst, Gail (2006). "Piraeus in the 1920s—the road starts". road to rembetika. Limni, Evia, Greece: Denise Harvey. pp. 27–35. ISBN 978-9607120076.
- "40 χρόνια από το θάνατο του Μπάτη. Ο Ρήγας του ρεμπέτικου" [40 years since the death of Batis. King of rebetiko]. Ελευθεροτυπια (in Greek). Χ. Κ. Τεγόπουλος Εκδόσεις Α.Ε. 2007-03-10. Archived from the original on 2009-12-29. Retrieved 2023-07-17.