Marko Melkon

about

Oud player "Marko" Melkon Alemsherian (1895-1963) was one of the most important early figures of Middle Eastern and belly dance music in the United States. An ethnic Armenian born in Izmir (formerly Smyrna), Turkey, he settled in America in 1921 after having spent time in Greece to avoid serving in the Ottoman army. In many ways, Marko was typical of the great Anatolian musicians of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries in that although he was Armenian, most of his songs' lyrics were sung in Turkish. Since he was originally from Izmir, which at one time had a large Greek population, and had spent time in Greece as a young man, he was also comfortable singing in this language as well. Such versatility demonstrates the mixed heritage of Middle Eastern/belly dance music. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.

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Marko Melkon

Old Turkish Songs

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Greek, Turkish, Armenian Masterpieces

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Armenians on 8th Avenue

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Oriental Jazz (50's & 60's Authentic Recordings)

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I Go Around Drinking Raki: ca. 1942-51 NYC Recordings

Hi-Fi Adventure in Asia Minor

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From Yerevan To California (Armenians in USA)

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Turkish Folk (50's - 60's USA Recordings)

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Don't Let Me Be Lost To You B-Sides: Albanian, Armenian, Greek, Jewish & Turkish Music from the Me Re, Balkan, Metropolitan & Kaliphon labels

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Near Eastern Music in NYC From the Metropolitan-Kaliphon-Balkan Labels, 1940s-50s, Vol. 1

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Ala Turca (1925-1955 Turkish Songs Recordings)

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