I read a Spanish-language article entitled LA PRESENCIA DE LO ESPAÑOL EN LA MÚSICA LIGERA DE ENTREGUERRAS (1930-1940) Y EN LA MÚSICA REBÉTIKA GRIEGAS (The presence of the Spanish element
in the light music of the interwar period (1930–1940)
and in Greek rebetiko music). In addition to the well-known pieces, it also mentions the song “Μαριγούλα Μανταλένα”, which the Greek recording industry credits Spiros Peristeris as the composer of.
According to the author, however, it is a Spanish-language song with a similar title, “Maria Magdalena”, sung by the Argentine singer Imperio Argentina:
I don’t know whether this particular song has already been mentioned here as a “wandering” song, but in my opinion it is a fine example of the cosmopolitanism of Greece’s historical recording industry:
The ending, „María Magdalena“ // „Marigoula Manteléna“, sounds similar. Perhaps there are another couple of little notes here and there, too, in the major-key section of the Spanish song.
Peristeris’s composition is original. But either he is winking at Imperio Argentina’s hit, which we also remember from elsewhere crossing paths with rebetiko, or he heard the song fleetingly once and copied whatever scattered fragments he retained.
I searched the forum in case this had already been discussed, but I couldn’t find anything. If I’m mistaken, someone can delete the post.
It therefore seems strange to me that the song’s title is so often given as “Marigoula Mantalena”, when the title as printed on the record — and as clearly heard in the song — is “Marigoula Mante lena”.
The website gives it as “Mantalena”, as does Maniatis’s book cataloguing gramophone records!
You’re right! On the printed label, one might think it was a typographical error (cf. To Toust, Rast’ e tou Teke, Mahmour Manes instead of Mahour, and many others), or simply remember the name as it is usually pronounced, Mαντaλένα.
But Vamvakaris does indeed sing it very clearly, and not just once, as Mαντeλένα. Definitely not a typographical error.
(The name «Mantalena» is a reborrowing from the Italian form of «Magdalene»: Maddalena. Today, women named Magdalene are usually called Magda, or sometimes by the full name Magdalene, but in the past Mantalena must have been common. [And even earlier, Mygdalo and Mygdalia!] Mante lena, which I have never heard before, seems to derive from the French form of the same name, Madelene, pronounced Madlen, without the final -e-, or perhaps Mantelen.)
