Dimos Moutsis, singer, songwriter and composer, passes away at 86
Greek singer, songwriter, and composer Dimos Moutsis has passed away in Athens at the age of 86.
He was among the pioneering Greek composers, following in the footsteps of the musical giant Mikis Theodorakis, in setting poetry to music, notably employing synthesizers in his “Tetralogia” released in 1975.
He collaborated with some of the most prominent figures in the Greek music scene over the past fifty years, including poets and lyricists Nikos Gatsos, Manos Eleftheriou and Kostas Tripolitis, as well as celebrated singers Grigoris Bithikotsis, Manolis Mitsias, and Dimitris Mitropanos.
Many of his songs were performed by Moutsis himself, with a notable characteristic being the melodic violin that often took center stage in his compositions.
One of the highlights of his career was the album “Agios Fevrouarios,” released in 1972, featuring lyrics by Eleftheriou and vocals by Mitropanos and Petri Salpea.
In 1981, “Fragma” was released, with lyrics penned by Tripolitis. The folk songs on the album were performed by leading rebetika figure Sotiria Bellou, with Moutsis contributing only the refrain of “De Les Kouveda,” which turned out to be one of the most popular songs on the album.
In 1990, “Taxidiotis tou Pantos” featuring the legendary Nana Mouskouri was released, marking the last album he composed for another singer besides himself. He returned in 1994 with “Gia Poulima Loipon!” once again featuring his own lyrics and vocals.
Moutsis was born in Piraeus and began his musical journey at the age of 7. By 21, he had completed his music studies, earning the top prize as a soloist on the violin.
He was a candidate for radical leftist party MeRA25 in the 2019 European Parliament elections. But his party membership was later suspended following allegations of sexual abuse, though these have not been tested in court.
