CULTURE

Mikis Theodorakis’s love songs given a new air by Yiannis Parios

The legendary Mikis Theodorakis has just released a double CD of his love songs as sung by Yiannis Parios at a concert last summer at the Lycabettus Theater. When a journalist asked whether the disc, of songs once sung by Grigoris Bithikotsis, Stelios Kazantzides and other famous singers, was nothing more than the same songs reheated, Mikis was not pleased. What about (recordings of) Maria Callas’s arias? Were they just reheated? he asked in return. As long as there are voices, songs will be reborn. In any case, I have given my songs to different types of singers. ‘Epitaphios’ was sung by Bithikotsis, by Nana Mouschouri and Yiovanna. He expressed pride in the way Parios sang 30 of his more well-known love songs. Present at the launching of the disc – which has lyrics by Giorgos Seferis, Nikos Gatsos, Tassos Leivaditis, Christodoulou, Anagnostakis, Yiannis Theodorakis, Iakovos Kambanellis, Manos Eleftheriou, Costas Virvos and Lefteris Papadopoulos – were the producer, Achilleas Theofilou; the president of the board of Minos Records, Makis Matsas; Mikis himself, and Lefteris Papadopoulos. A video wall showed scenes from the concert at Lycabettus. Helbi suggested a repeat next summer at the Herod Atticus. The Herod Atticus ignored me for so many years, I had to become nearly 100 years old before I could conduct my music there. So now I’m ignoring them. Anyway, we’ll see, said Mikis. Tsochadzopoulos said the State plans to take an active role in limiting the damage. One way of countering the decline in inbound tourist traffic is to stimulate domestic demand.

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