Amanes is a traditional vocal musical genre of the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly associated with Greek music, the broader legacy of the Ottoman Empire. It is known for its emotional, melismatic, and improvisational singing style, often featuring the word aman (meaning "mercy" or "alas") as a cry of lament.
The term amanes derives from the interjection aman, an exclamation used in both Greek and Turkish expressing pain, sorrow, or supplication. The frequent occurrence of the word aman in the lyrics gave the genre its name.
Amanes is typically:
The genre is considered a vocal form of lament or spiritual improvisation, comparable to the Arabic mawwal and Turkish gazel.
Amanes originated and flourished in the multiethnic urban centers of the Ottoman Empire, such as Smyrna (modern-day ðzmir), Istanbul, and Thessaloniki. It was influenced by Turkish, Greek, Armenian, and Arabic musical traditions.
After the Greco-Turkish War (1919âÂÂ1922) and the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, Greek refugees from Asia Minor brought the amanes to mainland Greece. It became a fundamental element of early Rebetiko music, especially among performers from the Smyrna school.
During the post-war era, amanes was often marginalized as being "oriental" and not in line with Westernized cultural ideals. However, from the late 20th century onwards, it has experienced a revival among ethnomusicologists and folk musicians. Contemporary artists have revisited amanes as a crucial part of Greek musical heritage.