One of the greatest of all rembetika singers, Rita Abatzi (or Abadzi, or Abatsi Ρίτα Αμπατζή) led a life with many contours that still remain a mystery to would-be biographers. Born in Smyrna (Izmir) somewhere around 1914 (although some accounts say 1903), she was part of a mass exodus of about two million people who emigrated to Greece after the burning of Smyrna in 1922. (Her father is thought to have died in the tragedy; accompanying her to Greece were her mother and sister, fellow singer Sophia Karavali.) Read more on Last.fm