When the Gods Rejoice: A Concert honouring the Hellenes of the World Tonight at the Herodeion

Tonight at 9.00 pm at the Theatre of Herodes Atticus instead of its usual Makrinisia in Olympia in August, Hellenes of the World will be hosting a concert honouring Global Greek artists and musicians with a special tribute to our wonderful Mikis Theodorakis

 ΗΡΩΔΕΙΟ 28 ΣΕΠΤΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ, ΩΡΑ 9:00μμ

ΥΠΕΡ ΤΗΣ ΔΗΜΙΟΥΡΓΙΑΣ ΓΛΥΠΤΟΥ ΑΓΑΛΜΑΤΟΣ ΓΙΑ ΤΟΝΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟ ΤΗΣ ΔΙΑΣΠΟΡΑΣ ΣΤΑ ΜΑΚΡΙΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΣ

ΣΥΜΜΕΤΕΧΟΥΝ ΣΗΜΑΝΤΙΚΟΙ ΣΥΝΘΕΤΕΣ, ΠΟΙΗΤΕΣ, ΖΩΓΡΑΦΟΙ, ΕΡΜΗΝΕΥΤΕΣ, ΗΘΟΠΟΙΟΙ

ΕΙΔΙΚΟ ΑΦΙΕΡΩΜΑ ΣΤΟΝ ΜΙΚΗ ΘΕΟΔΩΡΑΚΗ, ΜΕ ΤΗ ΣΥΜΜΕΤΟΧΗ ΤΗΣ ΛΑΪΚΗΣ ΟΡΧΗΣΤΡΑΣ ΜΙΚΗΣ ΘΕΟΔΩΡΑΚΗΣ  


Εδώ και 23 χρόνια ο απόδημος ελληνισμός γιορτάζει στο ξωκλήσι της ξενιτιάς στον Αη Γιάννη στα Μακρίσια της Ολυμπίας στις αρχές Αυγούστου. 

Φέτος η Γιορτή του Απόδημου Ελληνισμού που αποτελεί θεσμό μεταφέρεται και στο Ηρώδειο με μία συναυλία, που πραγματοποιείται στις 28 Σεπτεμβρίου και είναι αφιερωμένηστους μεγάλους Έλληνες που λάμπρυναν με την παρουσία και το έργο τους τη χώραμας στο εξωτερικό. Η εκδήλωση τελεί υπό την Αιγίδα των Υπουργείων Πολιτισμού και Εξωτερικών και είναι αφιερωμένη στους «Έλληνες του Κόσμου»: ΘόδωροΑγγελόπουλο, Οδυσσέα Ελύτη, Κωνσταντίνο Καβάφη, Νίκο Καζαντζάκη, Μιχάλη Κακογιάννη, Μαρία Κάλλας, Ιάκωβο Καμπανέλη, Μελίνα Μερκούρη, Γιάννη Ρίτσο, Γιώργο Σεφέρη, Διονύσιο Σολωμό, αλλά και στους ΒασίληΒασιλικό, Κώστα Γαβρά, Νάνα Μούσχουρη, Βαγγέλη Παπαθανασίου κ.ά. 

Η συναυλία περιλαμβάνει ειδικό, πιο εκτενές αφιέρωμα στον Μίκη Θεοδωράκη, ο οποίος στήριξε με το έργο του και την παρουσία του τη γιορτή του ΑπόδημουΕλληνισμού στην Ολυμπία όλα τα χρόνια της διοργάνωσης της. Τα τραγούδια τουαφιερώματος θα ερμηνεύσει η Λαϊκή Ορχήστρα Μίκης Θεοδωράκης, η οποία θα αφιερώσει το τραγούδι του συνθέτη «Το γελαστό παιδί» στη μνήμη του Παύλου Φύσσα. 

Τον Μίκη Θεοδωράκη, ο οποίος έχει προσκληθεί για να δώσει το παρόν, θα τιμήσουν στην συναυλία οι Έλληνες της διασποράς.  

Το κορυφαίο αυτό πολιτιστικό γεγονός διοργανώνεται για τη δημιουργία, στα Μακρίσια της Ολυμπίας, γλυπτού αγάλματος για τον Ελληνισμό της Διασποράς που φιλοτέχνησε ο κορυφαίος γλύπτης Θόδωρος Παπαγιάννης. Την καλλιτεχνική επιμέλεια της βραδιάς και την παρουσίαση του προγράμματος έχει ο στιχουργός Γιάννης Τζουανόπουλος, εμπνευστής της γιορτής του Απόδημου Ελληνισμού στα Μακρίσια.

Στη συναυλία λαμβάνουν μέρος η Ορχήστρα Ελληνικής Μουσικής «Έμμετρον»,  με μουσική επιμέλεια του Μανώλη Γεωργοστάθη. Οι τραγουδιστές: Γεράσιμος Ανδρεάτος, Αρλέτα, Μελίνα Ασλανίδου, Πέτρος Γαϊτάνος, Βασίλης Γισδάκης, Φωτεινή Δάρρα, Κώστας Καράλης, Βασιλική Καρακώστα, Βασίλης Λέκκας, ΛαυρέντηςΜαχαιρίτσας, Δημήτρης Μπάσης, Μιχάλης Τζουγανάκης, Δημήτρης Ψαριανός.   

Επίσης οι συνθέτες Μανώλης Καραντίνης, Δημήτρης Παπαδημητρίου, Βασίλης Σαλέας, ΓιάννηςΣπανός, Σάκης Τσιλίκης. Οιηθοποιοί Ζέτα Δούκα, Σταύρος Ζαλμάς, ΕύαΚοταμανίδου, Όθωνας Μεταξάς, Άννα Φόνσου. 

Η Χορωδία ΟΣΕ με μαέστρο τον Αιμίλιο Γιαννακόπουλο και επίτιμο μαέστρο την Τερψιχόρη Παπαστεφάνου και η Μικτή Χορωδία Πύργου με μαέστρο τον Θεόδωρο Παναγόπουλο. 

Ποιήματα τους απαγγέλουν οι ποιητές μας: Τίτος Πατρίκιος, Κατερίνα Αγγελάκη - Ρουκ και Γιώργος Μαρκόπουλος. Έργα τους πουλειτουργούν ως σκηνικό της μουσικής παράστασης έδωσαν οι ζωγράφοι: Δημήτρης Μυταράς, Χρίστος Καράς, ΓιώργοςΣταθόπουλος και Δημήτρης Κούκος.

«Είναι σημαντικό που συγκεντρώνεταιτόσος κόσμος κάθε χρόνο σ ένα τόσο όμορφο μέρος και φεύγει το μήνυμα τουελληνικού πολιτισμού και φτάνει στους απόδημους έλληνες σε όλη τη γη», έχει δηλώσει ο Μίκης Θεοδωράκης για την γιορτή του Απόδημου Ελληνισμού στην Ολυμπία και συνεχίζει:  «Νοιώθωκι εγώ απόδημος κατά κάποιο τρόπο γιατί έχω ζήσει αρκετά χρόνια στο εξωτερικό. Η ποιότητα των εκδηλώσεων στο ξωκλήσι της ξενιτειάς όλα αυτά τα χρόνια δείχνειότι το ελληνικό πνεύμα ακόμα ζει. Ο Γιάννης Τζουανόπουλος ακούραστος καιδημιουργικός κατάφερε να συγκεντρώσει σ αυτές τις εκδηλώσεις τους κορυφαίουςτου ελληνικού πολιτισμού και τον τιμά αυτή του η πρωτοβουλία, όπως τιμά την περιοχή και την Ελλάδα ολόκληρη». 

Να τονίσουμε, τέλος, ότι εδώ και 23 χρόνια, αδιάλειπτα,  «Οι Φίλοι του Αη Γιάννη» - «Το ξωκλήσι της ξενιτιάς», διοργανώνουν υπό την Αιγίδα των Υπουργείου Εξωτερικών, Πολιτισμού,της Διακομματικής Επιτροπής της Βουλής για τον Απόδημο Ελληνισμό, τουΣυμβουλίου Απόδημου Ελληνισμού (ΣΑΕ) και της ΕΡΑ, τη «Γιορτή του Απόδημου Ελληνισμού» στο ξωκλήσι της ξενιτιάς τον Αη Γιάννη στα Μακρίσια της Ολυμπίας στις Αρχές Αυγούστου.

Πρόκειται για τη κορυφαία γιορτή – θεσμό του Απόδημου Ελληνισμού όπου οι Έλληνες της διασποράς συναντούν την πατρίδα μέσααπό την Τέχνη και τον Πολιτισμό. Τίμησαν με την παρουσία τους και τιμήθηκαν απότους Έλληνες της διασποράς οι μεγάλες μορφές του Ελληνικού Πολιτισμού, όπωςΜίκης Θεοδωράκης, Ιάκωβος Καμπανέλης, Αντώνης Σαμαράκης, Κώστας Γαβράς, ΖυλΝτασέν, Μιχάλης Κακογιάννης, Δημήτρης Μυταράς, Γρηγόρης Μπιθικώτσης και άλλοι. Ησυναυλία στο Ηρώδειο στις 28 Σεπτεμβρίου είναι απόλυτα συνδεδεμένη με τη μεγάλη γιορτή του απόδημου ελληνισμού.

Ώρα έναρξης συναυλίας: 9.00 μ.μ.

Τιμέςεισιτηρίων:60 (Διακεκριμένη), 40 (Α’ ζώνη),  30 (Β+Γ’ζώνη), 15 (Άνω διάζωμα) και 10 ευρώ (φοιτητικό - ανέργων).
Προπώληση:
- Εκδοτήρια: Ταμεία Φεστιβάλ Αθηνών (Πανεπιστημίου39, Στοά Πεσμαζόγλου, Αθήνα & Ταμεία Ηρωδείου)
- Καταστήματα Public & Βιβλιοπωλεία Παπασωτηρίου
- Τηλ.: 210 3272000
- Online πωλήσεις στο:www.tickethour.com

At Global Greek World, We ♥ Greece...and it shows! 

© GlobalGreekWorld 2013 All Rights Reserved

The One and Only Mikis Theodorakis: Our Honorary Global Greek of the Year 2012

No one deserves the title of Honorary Global Greek of the Year more than our wonderful Mikis Theodorakis!

 

Mikis Theodorakis
Greece's Legendary Composer is our Honorary Global Greek of the Year

What can we say about Greece's national composer, renowned songwriter and composer, Mikis Theodorakis, that hasn't already been said 1000 times at least?

This amazingly creative and inspiring man is a living legend and an integral part of the history of Modern Greece. With his incredible music he has left an indelible mark on Greece and her people, both in Greece and around the world.

A highly political persona who became a legend for his efforts and resistance during the Second World War and his fight for democracy during the civil war and the 7 year military dictatorship, for which he was rewarded with many periods in exile, on Makronissos, in Zatouna and others, Mikis continues to this day to exert influence in the political arena, even making plans for his own political movement in the next elections.

 Miki talks and we all listen...

Present at the Athens premiere of a documentary on his life  Mikis Theodorakis, The Man, the Genius, the Legend by Greek Australian Eleni Evangel, in Athens in April 2010, Mikis took the microphone to talk to us about his life but also to passionately denounce the calling in of the IMF/EU/ECB Troika assistance saying that Greece should have maintained its dignity and taken all the measures necessary by itself.  

Miki is above all a creator of beautiful music with thousands of melodies in his 'library'. With more than a thousand songs and song-cycles to his credit, Mikis melodies have become part of the heritage of Greek music.
He was one of the first to put Greek poetry to music including the works of Nobel Prize winners Odysseus Elytis and George Seferis, thus bringing poetry to the people as he often says.
His repertoire includes Symphonic works, chamber music, cantatas and oratorios, hymns, ballets, operas, music for theatrical productions, classical tragedies, modern plays and many popular film scores, including the much acclaimed Zorba the Greek, Z, Phaedra and Serpico.

 

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
Miki with his own Zorba, Anthony Quinn

 

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
Did you say Dance?
Nikos Kazantzakis' Immortal Zorba

We would like to share with you a statement that Miki, still charismatic and a visionary at the age of 86, Greece's greatest living composer, made recently: 

His thoughts on how he sees Greece in the world today.... Miki's vision for Greece is to take its rightful place in the world as a 
Switzerland of Culture and Peace, a cultural oasis for Europe...

«Στο σηµείο αυτό θα ήθελα να σας µιλήσω για κάτι που πιστεύω ότι θα έλυνε το πρόβληµα της εθνικής µας ασφάλειας µια για πάντα: την Ιδέα της Ουδετερότητας. Με άλλα λόγια, να γίνει η Ελλάδα η Ελβετία του Πολιτισµού και της Ειρήνης. Με όπλα µας την ιστορία µας, τη συνεισφορά µας στον πολιτισµό και την πρόσφατη συµµετοχή µας στη συντριβή του φασισµού, είναι δυνατόν να κάνουµε το µεγάλο αυτό όραµα πραγµατικότητα. Με την προϋπόθεση βέβαια ότι όλοι οι Ελληνες µέσα και έξω από τη χώρα θα προσπαθήσουµε να πείσουµε τον ΟΗΕ (και φυσικά τις µεγάλες δυνάµεις) ότι η ύπαρξή µας ως τόπου συνάντησης των πολιτισµών και τόπου επίλυσης διαφορών κάτω από τη σκιά των ∆ελφών, της Ολυµπίας και της Ακρόπολης θα είναι και γι' αυτούς ωφέλιµη».

 

 "At this point I would like to talk to you about something which I think would solve our national Security problem once and for all: the concept of Neutrality. In other words, Greece should become Switzerland, the Switzerland of Culture and Peace. With weapons such as ours, our history, our contribution to civilisation and our more recent involvement in  crushing fascism, it is indeed possible to turn this great vision into reality.  With the proviso of course, that all Greeks both inside and outside the country, will try to persuade the United Nations (and of course the great powers) that our existence as a meeting point of cultures and a place where disputes will be solved, in the shadow of Delphi, Olympia and the Acropolis, will also be beneficial to them"

 

 

Food for thought indeed...

 

 If only our leaders would pay attention to the words of this unique and gifted man and artist, Greece would be in a better place.

 

 Let's hope that Miki's vision will soon become a reality.

 This is definitely something that we can all work towards.

 

Let's DO it!

 

 

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
Passing the light on to the world
Torch Lighting ceremony for the Olympic Flame at Ancient Olympia

 

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
 Epidaurus Ancient theatre

 

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
Theatre of Herodes Atticus

 

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
The home of the Revival of the Olympic Games in 1896
The Panathenaic / Kallimarmaro Olympic Stadium

 

 

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
A beacon of light for the world: The Parthenon 

 

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...

The New Acropolis Museum waiting for the stolen Parthenon Sculptures

 

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
Socrates and Plato - Ancient Greek philosophy and wisdom at Athens Academy

 

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
Diogenes with Alexander the Great

 

  

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
The Athens Acropolis

  

A small country, an enormous cultural heritage...
The Academy of Athens

Congratulations Miki!

Τhank Υou from the bottom of our hearts!

 Από τα βάθη της καρδιάς μας,

Μίκη σ'ευχαριστούμε! 
Να μας ζήσεις! 

About Mikis Theodorakis on Wikipedia

Mikis Theodorakis Website

At Global Greek World, We ♥ Greece...and it shows! 

© GlobalGreekWorld 2009-2017 All Rights Reserved

ΑΘΑΝΑΤΗ... Remembering Melina who left us 17 years ago today

This magnificent photo of Melina graces the Acropolis Metro Station in Athens

Taken by her personal photographer Ilias Anagnostopoulos

A musical tribute to our beloved Melina, known to the world as Melina Mercouri - singer, actress, politician - the Last Greek Goddess... 

This is a collection of our favourite songs including one sung for her by her stepson - French singer Joe Dassin...you'll know it for sure...Γαρύφαλλο στ'αφτί

Listen, reminisce and smile...that's what she would have wanted us to do. 











 


 

Related Posts:

Melina Mercouri - The Woman Who Should Have been Mayor of Athens

In Memory of Global Greeks Melina Mercouri and Jules Dassin

Zorba the Greek - The Tap Dance Version - Global Greek Style!

This amazing tap dance version of Miki Theodorakis' Zorba the Greek was performed at Toronto's Annual Dancefest in 2004... we loved it and thought we would share it with you all! 

We don't know any more details, but by looking at those glittery Greek Galanolefki flags being worn so proudly by the young  dancers on their bodices, we can only guess that this was a Greek Tap Dancing Team's entry in the festival in the lead up to the Athens Olympics... 

If anyone knows anything more please email us and we will update gladly! 

Enjoy!

To Xypolito Tagma - The Barefoot Battalion - Gregg Tallas' Delightful Movie about Children in German Occupied Greece and Mikis Theodorakis First Film Score

As the whole of Greece gets ready to celebrate OXI Day, the anniversary of the day on the 28th October in 1940, when the Greeks said a firm 'NO' to the invading forces of Italy's leader, Benito Mussolini, Greek children, in Greece and in our communities abroad are preparing for the day's celebrations and learning about the events and the incredible heroism of the Greek nation as a whole during the dreadful years of the Second World War. 

As schools prepare the students for the αnnual OXI Day school Yiortes and Parades, they are learning much about how Greece and her people survived a catastrophic war which left the country destitute and in ruins, both physically and economically. 

In my daughter's school books, one of the things the children are asked to do is have a parent or grandparent recount an event that took place during the War and the German Occupation, and they must write it in their own words. Each child learns to recite a poem, or take part in a play which recounts events during the War specially for the school Yiorti or celebration, and if old enough, proudly takes part in the school parades in cities and towns all over Greece. This Thursday, on the 28th October, our daughter will be part of that parade for the first time and she is very excited! 

As part of their learning more about the events of World War II and its consequences for Greece, my 10 year old daughter's class, (she's 5th year- Pempti - by the way) was taken to see a new release of a marvellous movie about children growing up in war ravaged Thessaloniki. She loved it, as did all the children,  and as she was telling me about the movie, Το Ξυπόλυτο Τάγμα or The Barefoot Battalion, and I read the pamphlet they were given, I remembered my own parents telling us about the same movie when we were growing up in our own community so far away from Greece, each time the 28th October celebrations took place there. 

I realised then that it was something that I would like to share with the readers of Global Greek World ... 

Gregg Tallas 1950's 

Photo Source: Tallas Family Archives  

As I researched the material for this post a lot of previously unknown facts came to light  about this wonderful film

• the director was none other than one of our Global Greeks - Gregg Tallas born Gregory Thalassinos in Constantinople in 1903 ...

• Many of the cast and crew were of Greek descent including Peter Boudoures, the producer, a Greek-American restaurateur in San Francisco who had been the regional director of Greek War Relief on the West Coast of the USA from 1940-1949

• The film's production cost was $38,000. 

• It was shot without sound, using a 1920s era camera and minimal technical equipment.

• The music for the film was the first film score that Greece's legendary composer,Mikis Theodorakis ever wrote

• The Barefoot Battalion opened in New York on 28 May 1954 and Los Angeles on 11 June of the same year to great acclaim

• In 1955 it was awarded the Golden Laurel at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, thus becoming the first Greek film to win a prize at an international film festival

• It has been the subject of many university studies around the world, especially historical studies

In post war Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1953, a young, barefoot, ragged and homeless boy named Stavros wakes up on an abandoned rowboat... It is getting cold on the boat so he goes to shore, and, in order to buy a blanket, attempts to steal a purse from a woman in the crowded market. Demetri, a young man who sees the whole thing and sees him run off, follows the boy, catches him and searches him.

When Stavros begins to cry, saying he has no family, Demetri explains that he only wants to help and that he too used to steal on the street for a living... As the two talk we flashback to 1943 to wartorn, besieged Thessaloniki in German-occupied Greece and Demetri relates his own story - a war orphan who lives with his young sister Martha in an abandoned wrecked boat, with only food rations for survival. As they become desperate for food they join a group of boys, known as Το Ξυπόλυτο Τάγμα or The Barefoot Battalion. 

Based on a true story of a group of young boys who lost their parents when the Nazis occupied Greece in 1941, and the children sent to orphanages, this delightful film recounts the courage and bravery of a marvellous group of children, "The Barefoot Battalion" who got together to provide food for themselves and others who had no means, while at the same time working closely with Greece's dynamic underground resistance movement who worked to help Americans and Allied Forces escape to the Middle East, hiding and eventually smuggling an American airman out of the country... 

The idea for the film came in the late 40's, when Greek actor Nikos Katsiotis, who was in the USA at the time, was discussing with Greek American director Gregg Tallas, the story of Thessaloniki's victory parade in November of 1944, on the day it celebrated its liberation from German  Occupation. Katsiotis  told Tallas  how right at the tail end,  a group of barefoot, bedraggled kids paraded, holding a banner with the words 'Το Ξυπόλυτο Τάγμα' ... 

Gregg Tallas 1966 

Photo Source: Tallas Family Archives

Gregg Tallas was so enchanted and moved by this story that he decided to make it into a film, a film which was shot on location in Thessaloniki and Athens, even at the notorious black market site and the cast was made up of some of Greece's well known actors of the day, while 63 of the 66 children came from orphanages and reform institutions in Athens and Thessaloniki...

Gregg Tallas 1970's
Photo Source: Tallas Family Archives

For those that would like to watch To Xypolito Tagma in it's entirety here is this brilliant film - a film which the reknowned director Vittorio de Sica is said to have praised so highly that he told Gregg Tallas that if The Barefoot Battalion had preceeded his own masterpiece 'Bicycle Thief', then he, Tallas, would have been de Sica...

- it's well worth while!                       

 

 Mikis Theodorakis and Gregg Tallas
Composer and Director - Two of our Global Greek legends together

Shortly after this post was published, we were delighted to receive a comment in our visitors book from Rhett Tallas, the grandson of Gregg Tallas. He was kind enough to share the photos of Gregg Tallas from their family archives with us and all our readers. He also sent us this note from Gregg's brother Alex, who lives in Greece and is often invited to speak before screenings of this wonderful movie.  

The movie's story line is simple, clear and concise and it retells a true story that took place in Thessaloniki ( Greece's second largest city located in Northern Greece). 

In a nutshell: It recounts the story of more than 150 orphan teenagers whose orphanage (The Papafion) was commandeered by the German High Command of Norhern Greece and they were let out to starve. They showed great initiative, courage and a great will to survive - by stealing food from the Germans and Italians,but also sharing the food they could spare with the starving civilian population of the city of Thessaloniki - whilst also helping to smuggle American, British and Greek officers who had fallen behind as the front collapsed to Cairo to join the Allied forces there. 

Thank you for the fedback Rhett and Alex. We are grateful to you and the entire Tallas Family for allowing us the use of the photos of Gregg Tallas from the family archives. 

Other Sources: www.moviereviews.gr

 At Global Greek World, We ♥ Greece...and it shows!

© GlobalGreekWorld 2009 - 2021 All Rights Reserved

 

Happy 85th Birthday, Miki! Χρόνια Πολλά και Καλά, Μίκη Μας! Να μας Ζήσεις!

Tonight, 29th July 2010, our legendary composer, and one of our greatest Global Greeks, Mikis Theodorakis celebrates his 85th birthday among friends, at a concert at Athens' Lykavettos Theatre with the whole of Athens literally and figuratively at his feet!

Among the many friends who will be taking part in the birthday tribute to our beloved Miki, are artists he has worked with over his many years of music... Turkish composer Zulfu Livaneli, Greek composers Loukianos Kilaidonis, Lavrentis Mahairitsas, and Dionysis Savvopoulos; singers Maria Farandouri, Petros Pandis, Glykeria, Petros Gaitanos, Nena Venetsanou, Dimitris Bassis, Antonis Kalogiannis, Vassilis Lekkas and Alexandros Hadjis; actors Bessy Malfa, Yiannis Bezos, Katerina Papoutsaki, Santouri player Areti Ketime and songwriter Manolis Rassoulis....

It seems like yesterday that Miki turned 70 and the magnificent concert held in his honour at the Athens Kallimarmaro Stadium. That stadium was filled to it's 80,000 capacity 15 years ago, in 1995, and the performers who paid tribute to Miki then were so many that the concert lasted several hours even though each singer sang one song...but where do you start with Miki's vast repertoire?

Tonight's birthday tribute will be much more intimate, only about 3500 people fit into the Lykavettos Theatre, but the atmosphere will be fantastic, one of celebration and rejoicing, for Greece's Mikis Theodorakis, The Man, the Genius, the Legend as Greek Australian producer, Eleni Evangel calls him in her documentary (More about Eleni and her work in another post...)

What can we say about Miki? There is so much to say about him that we don't know where to start...so, tonight we will simply wish him Χρόνια Πολλά και Καλά, and thank him for the wonderful gift of music that he has shared with us all so generously. Magnificent music that has so enriched our lives, wherever we may be in the world! 

We have watched him in action conducting concerts at Athens' Herodeion, or fronting for causes dear to his heart, such as Palestine or speaking for the people of Kurdistan and Ocalan  and we have listened to him speak many times.  

His presence is magnetizing and awe-inspiring. In fact, just shaking the hand of one of Greece's living legends is an honour indeed!

Here are a few of his most well-known pieces...enjoy!



Kaymos




Epitafios

To Gelasto Paidi

Ta Lianotragouda (Yiannis Ritsos)

Axion Estin (Odysseas Elytis) 





The Ballad of Mauthausen (Iakovos Kambanellis)

Z - the film by Costas Gavras

Serpico

and we will close this tribute with his most well-known and loved masterpiece - one that travelled the Greek soul to all corners of the world... Zorba the Greek!

As Anthony Quinn, the one and only Zorba, said in paying tribute to our wonderful Miki when the two legends met at a concert in Munich, almost 40 years after Zorba the Greek...

Photo Source: www.anthonyquinn.org

'The music of Zorba is the music of Life, and to live life fully, you must always Love, and I love YOU...'

For us, all of Miki's music is indeed the music of Life and Miki mas, we ALL love you!!!


May God keep you well and strong so that you can continue to share your God-given gift with us and the world for many years to come!

Χρόνια Πολλά και Καλά, Μίκη!

Σ'ευχαριστούμε!

Global Greece: When Zorba met Zorba...

Photo Source: www.anthonyquinn.org

'The music of Zorba is the music of Life, and to live life fully, you must always Love, and I love YOU...'

The immortal Zorba the Greek, Anthony Quinn paying tribute to the eternal Greek, legendary composer Mikis Theodorakis...

At a concert in Munich, almost 40 years after  Zorba the Greek, the two meet and dance to the world famous Sirtaki...

It's so moving... One of life's unique, unforgettable moments!

Enjoy!

 
And the original masterpiece... just for the record!

Global Greek Families - Introducing Stavros Flatley , or, Britain's Got Global Greek Talent!

'Dance? Did you say Dance? Come on, my Boy!' quote from Mihali Cacoyiannis' Academy Award winning Zorba the Greek, based on Nikos Kazantzakis' famous novel. Unforgettable music by Mikis Theodorakis.

A few weeks ago, a new Greek Something talented duo appeared on Britain's got talent and took the world by storm with their own very special version of Michael Flatley's Irish dance troupe Riverdance!!

Although they didn’t win Britain’s Got Talent, Greek-Cypriot Britons, wonderful father and son duo, Demetrios Demetriou and 12-year-old Laki, or Lagi, adding a touch of Greek culture to Britain’s Got Talent and performing as Stavros Flatley, wowed everyone, including the judges, with their 'tribute' to Michael Flatley!

With the map of his home country, Cyprus, tattooed across Demetri’s lower chest...and Zorba the Greek's famous quote on his back, he and Lagi put on a great show - they did what centuries of our ancestors have done, they danced! Not only did they dance, they danced so well that they succeeded in getting those very sceptical judges smiling and clapping, surprising them almost as much as Susan Boyle did!

Demetrios and Laki shared an integral part of their (and our) Greek culture with Britain and the rest of the world, and in so doing shared with the world another, much more important characteristic of our culture - the close bond shared by members of the traditional Greek Family!

They told us that they spend a lot of time together and it was obvious to everyone that they have that very special bonding...a bonding which impressed even the judges , with one of them commenting 'You two just have the most fantastic relationship..'

It was the nature of the father-son relationship that also impressed the many viewers who hastened to leave very positive comments on the relevant videos on You Tube...We quote just a few of these:

What can i say FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY!!! What a lovely man, and how much he loves his son, its great!!!

Stavros Flatley made me laugh till I cried. The funniest thing I’ve seen in ages. Good old fashioned entertainment at it's best.

Absolutely hilarious!! My family were laughing their socks off watching these two, what a wonderful father, son bond and so entertaining - can't wait to see what they come up with next - best of luck - we are all cheering you on!!

While Susan elevated my soul THESE GUYS gave me the tonic I needed to get through these depressing times...............Fab

WHAT a refreshing thing to see a Father & Son with such a close bond and all together hilarious.....had me in stitches ;).

Demetrios, who ran a family restaurant in the past, and entertained clients with his performances, told ITV2′ s Britain’s Got More Talent: “Laki was just a baby when I had the restaurant and performed, so he can’t remember it. But we saw the advert for Britain’s Got Talent and he said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if you went on as Stavros Flatley”, and I suggested we do it together.

“I thought the wife would go mad, but she said, ‘Go on, do it!’”

And they did it ...with such success that in the semi-final they got the overall top spot thanks to the public vote and their hilarious Zorba the Greek dance routine. Their backing dancers were family friends and they used to work at their restaurant too.

At the end of their routine, we were all overcome with emotion, as was the crowd, when Demetri told his son ,

“No matter what happens, thanks for asking me to dance with you. I’ve had the time of my life, I swear,”

Even the The Lord of the Dance himself, Michael Flatley, was impressed and spoke to the Daily Mirror, sending his own good luck message to his 'proteges'
“Demetrios and Laki’s family spirit is something that has touched everyone and is to be much admired. Best of luck in the final, Stavros Flatley!”

The close family bond between the two, the way that Laki or Lagi looked up to his father and even the way he protected him, as it were, from the judges' indiscreet comments on his weight were particularly warming.

His answer to one judge's question How much do you look up to your Dad?
I look up to him so much, he's just a role model for me
was a timely reminder of something that so many of our Greek families have to this day - the way we are brought up, the closeness and continuous support of our families, the intertwining of several generations - grandparents, parents and chidren - helps to create an unbreakable bond which holds the family together, which makes each member secure in the knowledge that no matter what happens in their lives, good or bad, their family will always be there for them.

Our families are the most important things in our lives, they shape our experiences, our thoughts, it is in the context of our families that we grow to become the people we are, and the people we become is usually a reflection of the input that has gone into bringing us up. One of the characteristics which people loved in Nia Vardalos' My Big Fat Greek Wedding, was the close family environment reflected in the movie.
Sometimes this can be oppressive, sometimes over the top and we may even resent it, but in most cases, the knowledge alone, gives you such a nice warm feeling, something like being wrapped in a comfortable security blanket, that in today's troubled times few people could wish for more.

How many of us, whenever we rebelled against this over-protective closeness, got a reality check from some non-Greek friend who marvelled at the way our parents cared about us and showed it? I still remember one of my friends commenting one day at school, when I was busy resenting the fact that our Father was waiting at the corner for us to appear one night, that we were lucky our father cared enough to do it, because hers couldn’t have cared less... a very sobering thought indeed and we never complained again!
We thank Demetri and his son for demonstrating this very precious Greek family bond to the entire world. It doesn't matter that they didn't win the contest! They did something far more important - they won our hearts!

For all of us who have grown up in our wonderful Global Greek Families - we have only one thing to say

Zito i Elliniki Oikogeneia!

Thank You for all the love and care!!!