Zorba's Dance
Zorba's dance was composed in 1964 by the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis. The tune featured in the film "Zorba the Greek", for which Theodorakis wrote the soundtrack, and became popular around the world.

The melody "Zorba's Dance" has been recorded by many different musicians from all over the world. In 1965 the tune reached number 6 in the UK Chart. "Zorba's Dance" also featured in other films: it was used in "Lock, Stock and two smoking barrels", and in the "Subdevision" episode of "Prison Break".

Since "Zorba's Dance" became very popular, the dance sirtaki (or syrtaki) also gained popularity all over the world. Originaly the sirtaki is not a folk dance, but a mix of fast and slower versions of the hassapikos, a collection of folk dances from Greece. The way the sirtaki
is danced in the film "Zorba the Greek", under choreography of Giorgos Provias, is nowadays the most famous way to perform it. "Zorba" is also seen as the traditional song to dance the sirtaki on.

Despite the popularity Zorba's Dance got all over the world, the song is particularly infamous in Peru, where it is associated with "Sendere Luminoso", (Shining Path), a Maoist guerilla insurgent organization in Peru. The Shining Path has widely been condemned for its brutality, violence against peasants, popularly elected officials and the general population. Worldwide the Shining Path is classified as a terrorist organization. As in the early 1990s a video appeared of Sendero Luminoso's leadership dancing the sirtaki on the tunes of Zorba, for the people of Peru the melody was out of favor, as it always would remind them of Sendero Luminoso and its cruelties.
Click the link to hear Zorba's Dance on accordeon

Sources: http://www.petrushka-project.com/de_DE/works/composers/show,20860.html
              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zorbas
              http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/sendero_luminoso.htm
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