Athens, Greece: Over a hundred years since rebetiko arrived in Athens, one family of luthiers continue to build the instruments which defined the style.

The article focuses on the Tsakirian family, a lineage of luthiers in Athens, Greece, who have been crafting traditional string instruments central to rebetiko music for over a century. Originating with Agop Tsakirian, a Smyrna refugee who settled in Greece in 1922, the family workshop has passed through generations, including Onnik Tsakirian, noted for creating the famous black bouzouki used by rebetiko musician Manolis Chiotis. Currently, Karolos Tsakirian and his daughter Tanya continue the craft, producing high-quality bouzoukis, laoutos, and other instruments that are played internationally, preserving the cultural heritage of rebetiko music rooted in Anatolian and Greek history.