At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe is living in peace and prosperity. The “Belle Époque” is an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that are created and which evolve funnel both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It is within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction is invented. Early record labels send mobile crews literally all over the world to record local musicians. The range of the repertoire is endless. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favors polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also circulations in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolves dynamically and anisotropically, form a complex network of “centers” and “peripheries” in alternating roles setting musical idioms in motion, both literally and figuratively. The network in which the Greek-speaking urban popular song participates, constantly conversing with its co-tenants, is magnificent. Discography has already provided important tools in understanding the relationships that developed between “national” repertoires. The result of this ongoing research is “Cosmopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography”.

Naturally, in the large urban centers of the Ottoman Empire around the Mediterranean Sea, the “conversations” of the Greek-speakers with their Turkish-speaking Muslim “co-tenants”, the Catholic Greek-speakers, the Armenians, the Sepharadi and Ashkenazi Jews, the Levantine Protestants, and the Europeans and the Americans, were more than intense. Very often, the scope of this network extends to the Balkans, to Eastern and even to a part of Central Europe. Especially regarding relations between Orthodox and Muslims, the relevant evidence demonstrates the musical exchanges between them and elucidate an ecumene where everyone contributed to the great musical “melting-pot”, and where everyone may draw from it, as well as redeposit it, in a new form, with a reformulated text and its meaning, with sometimes clear and sometimes blurred references to its pre-text, until someone else pulls it out again, through the “melting-pot”, so that it becomes clear that there is no end in this recreational and dynamic process where fluidity prevails. A case that comes from such repertoires is the song "Katifes" or "Kantife".

The title of the song in Turkish, "Kadife yastığım (yok)" could be translated as "I don't have a velvet pillow". According to Stelios Bermperis, this is an older title of the song "Kadifeden Kesesi".

This specific tune has also penetrated the Greek-speaking repertoire under the title "Kantife" or "Katifes".

Panagiotis Kounadis notes (2010, 6: 77): "This is a song based on a traditional melody from Asia Minor which was widespread in most ethnic groups in the region.

Other covers:

1. Antonis Ntalgkas: 'Kantife', record AO 224 by His Master's Voice, Athens 16/6/1928.
2. Mrs. Pipina: 'O katifes', record G-4-32072 by Homocord, Constantinople (Istanbul) (?) 19/03/1929.
3. Grigoris Asikis: 'Katife', record 8270 by Columbia (UK), Athens 1930 (?).
4. Evangelos Sofroniou: 'Katife', record GA 1432 by Odeon, Athens 1930.
5. Marika Frantzeskopoulou (Politissa): 'Katife - Ta tsachpinika sou matia', record GA 1435 by Odeon, Athens 1930.
6. Roza Eskenazy: 'Katifes', record V-51079 by Polydor, Athens 1930.

katifes: in Arabic, the plant Tagetes patula (French marigold). Also velvet made of silk."

Examples of recordings found in Turkish historical discography:

- Hafız Ahmet Bey, "Gazelli Katefe", Constantinople, 1923–1926, Odeon xC 2988 D – X 46432
- Yaschar Bey [Hafız Yaşar Okur Bey], "Nevah Ouchak Canto – Katefe Jastiim", Constantinople, 1923–1926, Odeon xC 2954 – X 46386
- Derviş Abdullah Efendi, "Jeni Katifeli Kanto, Katifeden Kesesi", Constantinople, 1923–1926, Odeon X 46417

Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis