Reb'tika is the music of the Greek underworld, whose golden years started shortly after Greek national independence and lasted until the 1950s. A rich and heady stew, reb'tika focuses on hopeless love, disease, drugs, death and imprisonment. As a musical form, it draws on numerous sources such as the formal instrumental suites of the Ottoman court, the solo vocals of Turkey and Iran, and the captivating, sophisticated instrumentation of the caf' aman in Istanbul and Izmir. The Rough Guide To Reb'tika showcases some of the best reb'tika artists from its early roots to the rising stars from the more recent revival movement.