Jonathan - 2-8-2010 at 06:16 PM
I came across the following on a Greek rembetiko site:
http://www.rembetiko.gr/forums/showthread.php?20059
And was hoping somebody could help me with the translation. I know that there is a lot there, but I would really appreciate your help.
αυτός είναι ο αρμένης Σερκίς,
με Ρόζα, Ατραίδη και Αλεξιάν
(1925). Ξέρει κανείς κάτι παραπάνω
γι αυτόν; Το ούτι που κρατάει
πιστεύω ότι είναι αράβικο,
μπορεί κανείς να το
πιστοποιήσει;
Udi "Buyuk" Serkis = ο "μεγάλος" Σερκίς,
γεννήθηκε στο Γενικαπί της
Κωνσταντινούπολης και
πέθανε το 1925 στο Γεντικουλέ.
Έγινε γνωστός ως ουτίστας
από την ορχήστρα του Tatyos Efenti.
Υποτίθεται, με κάθε
επιφύλαξη, πως έπαιζε και με
αυτό το ούτι του Αρμένη
Θεσσαλονικιού
κατασκευαστή Meguerditche Karibian. ο οποίο
υποτίθεται πως διατηρήθηκε
έκτοτε φυλαγμένο και
άπαικτο...
αν ήξερα και τούρκικα θα
έγραφα περισσότερα
στοιχεία...
όντως έτσι είναι όπως τα λέει
ο voulou...
βέβαια στη συγκεκριμένη
φωτο του θύμιου δυστυχώς δεν
φαίνεται να παίζει ούτι karibyan
(-που κι αυτός ήταν ογκόλιθος
μετά τον Μανόλ
...μπορεί απο διαστάσεις να
θυμίζει αράβικο ούτι αλλά το
τεράστιο μιζραπλίκι και
μάλιστα σχεδιαστό σαν
στεριανό λαούτο με
μπερδεύει...
mavrothis - 2-8-2010 at 09:14 PM
"...that is the Armenian Serkis, with Roza, Atraidi and Aleksian (1925). Does anyone know something more about him? I believe that the oud he is
holding is Arabic, can anyone confirm this?
Udi "Buyuk" Serkis = "the great/big" Serkis, was born in Yenikapi in Constantinople and died in 1925 in Yedikule. He became well–known as an ud
player in the orchestra of Tatyos Efendi. It is said, (I say this with caution) that he played with an ud of the Armenian luthier of Thessaloniki
Meguerditche Karibian. It's said that (ud) has been kept safe and unplayed ever since...
If I understood Turkish I would write more facts/material...
In fact it is as voulou says...
of course in this specific photo from Thymios unfortunately it doesn't look like he's playing a Karibyan (- who was a "heavyweight" after Manol 
...it may by its dimensions resemble an Arabic oud but the giant pickguard and also the shape like a mainland (Greece) laouto confuses me..."
Something along those lines Jonathan...will you share the pic(s) with us?
mavrothi
Multi Kulti - 2-9-2010 at 05:48 AM
it happens to be the one who made the last comment in this forum about the oud of Serkis.I m still sure that the oud on the pic is not a
Karibyan...what do you think ?
Nikos
mavrothis - 2-9-2010 at 06:21 AM
It looks more like an Arabic oud to me too. Cool picture!
Jonathan - 2-9-2010 at 07:31 AM
Thanks, Mav. A lot.
I am not too sure about the the whole Serkis story either, because he does seem to play a much larger, Arabic-style oud. Thats a great pic, Nikos.
As far as Karibyan, I guess it is easy to think of just the most famous Karibyan--Onnik. But, actually, there were at least 3 Karibyans that were
excellent oud-makers:
Meguerditche, in Thesoloniki, who made, from the one example I have seen (in the link) a smaller Turkish-style oud. This is the only Meguerditche
Karibyan I have seen--plays beautifully, super light-weight, beautiful craftsmanship. Does anybody know of any other Meguerditche Karibyan ouds??
Does anybody know what the relationship was between Meguerditche and Onnik (and yes, they are a part of the same family, and were initially from
Thesoloniki).
Then, there is Hamza Karibyan. Not the more famous Hamza Usta. This Hamza was Onnik's older brother. He likely worked for Manol (I really need
documentation on this, so if anybody out there has something, let me know). The only Hamza Karibyan ouds I know of are really early (labels in
Ottoman script) ouds that he made with Onnik--So, the label reads Hamza and Onnik Karibyan. Then, after Onnik started making ouds on his own, Hamza
sort of seems to have disappeared. Has anybody ever seen an oud with just Hamza Karibyan on the label? I've got to update my own website with a
Hamza entry, but I am just looking for a little more info.
Then, of course, there is Onnik Uner Karibyan.
Thanks again, guys. I really appreciate it.
spyros mesogeia - 2-9-2010 at 09:07 AM
hartun - 7-24-2019 at 11:49 AM
I know this is an old thread but it turns out there were two Udi Sarkis'.
Udi Buyuk Sarkis who played with Kemani Tatyos and DIED in 1925
Udi Kuchuk Sarkis who fled to Greece after WWI, I imagine he is the one in the picture. Since the cited Turkish article was discussing Buyuk Sarkis,
it is very possible Buyuk Sarkis did play a Megerdich Karibyan ud. This picture being most likely Kuchuk Sarkis he must have played a larger Arabic
style oud.
For some reason, I also recall the story of Buyuk Sarkis' oud being preserved and I seem to remember that I have seen a picture of the preserved oud
on the internet somewhere