"Is this where we vote?" (Our great circus, 1973)

reece was under a military junta between 1967 and 1974. In June 22, 1973 Tzeni Karezi and Kostas Kazakos started the theater play "To megalo mas tsirko" ("Our great circus") at the downtown Athens theater "Athinaion". Stavros Xarchakos did the music, Iakovos Kampanellis the lyrics, and Nikos Xylouris was the lead singer. The play was a satirical historical flashback of the history of Greece from the Ottoman empire to what was then present time. It quickly became extremely popular, and transformed into an act of political resistance against the dictatorship. People would ask at the register "Is this where we vote?".

It wasn't easy to get through the government's censorship. The play was marketed as a comedy to do so. Here is how the play started:

"One final word, ladies and gentlemen. We told you that our play is a comedy, but it is not a comedy because we say so, or because it was written as such. It is a comedy for a much more serious reason. We declared it as a comedy. We submitted it to the control committee as a comedy, and it was approved as a comedy by state decision number 195. By no means I wish to tell you that you are obligated to laugh by law. I am just noting that every similarity of our comedy to a drama is purely coincidental."

The censorship office soon realized their mistake, detained the producers, and shut down the play. But history had already been made. 500000 people are estimated to have seen the play. In 1974, the music of the play was released as an LP, and in 2003 as a CD. Here is one song of the album.

Our great circus [Το μεγάλο μας τσίρκο]

Music: Stavros Xarchakos

Lyrics: Iakovos Kampanellis

Voices: Nikos Xylouris, Tzeni Karezi, and actors

Great news I bring from up there

give me a moment to catch my breath

and think whether I should laugh,

cry, shout, or be silent.

The kings have fled

and now at the port down by the shore,

the allies are sending them away.

As they manipulated and fixed things

from the outset they dag their own pit

and close up our great protectors,

slowly became the grave-diggers

and who is to pay the bill again

and how can I start over again

at least if I knew why.

What else does my fortune tell me

three schemers are studying it.

Priests and pen pushers will let us know

with drums, parades and celebrations.

Cops are holding the constitution

and the courtiers in the palace

are waiting for something new to turn up.

The foreign bankers have glammed up,

the Greek real estate brokers have shaved.

Seven the interest five the make-up

forty with the oil and the vinegar

and he who believed and had patience

dumb and drugged he stands and stares

at the freedom being auctioned.

People, do not tighten the belt anymore,

don't take hunger for glory any more

Your fights do not count

unless they make up for the blood that has been shed.

People, do not tighten the belt anymore,

hunger for glory is for the quitter,

it is for the the slave and it will bury him.

Sources for this post (in Greek): link 1, link 2, link 3

Source for English translation

Greek lyrics

Zavarakatranemia (Nikos Xylouris, 1973)

Nikos Xyloyris/ Νίκος Ξυλούρης

evolutionary mood. Tunisia and Egypt recently walked that path with jaw-dropping and extremely massive demonstrations. The last 20 years -that I may say I am capable of such judjement- very few times I had this feeling that something historicly important happens somewhere, right now.

There are some people with the same energy-let's say. They would give you the feeling that they are important, they can change stuff, they simply do. And their way is simple and beautiful. One of them was Nikos Xylouris. We have already introduced his brother on an older post.

We skip the wiki info to go to the main subject: the song.

Zabarakatranemia

Nikos Xylouris

(the song's lyrics contain one repeated phrase of words that mean nothing in Greek. They only remind the phrase "Black flags waved, mother bring me the knife". A call for revolution against the 1967-1974 military junta while it tries to avoid its censorship).

Nikos Xylouris is singing. He is one of the most -if not the most- highly appreciated Greek singers ever to come. He died young, of brain tumor. He comes from Crete, Greeks still call him "the angel" and his voice is pure, wide, strong and sensitive. Diamond.

ps. Look at him singing an other song.

Days Strange and Beautiful (Active Member, 2000)

Active Member on stage

band that was formed a night after a live concert of Public Enemy in Athens, June 1992: "Active Member". On Sunday in Greece we have elections and there if there would be only one thing missing from these, this would be active members.

A great band, giving birth to a sound and a musical form that in 1992 would be a joke if with Greek lyrics, baptised its music as "Low Bap" and with sentimental, strongly political, urban lyrics did what no other Greek hip-hop band achieved: influenced & expressed a 80s generation and teased a 70s one that was facing this music with skepticism.

A song about days that feel as strange as beautiful. That's how most Greeks feel now. Or at least those with a greater sense of identity.

Days Strange and Beautiful

album: Days Strange and Beautiful (Μέρες Παράξενες Θαυμάσιες Μέρες), 2000

*Bonus Track: The Myths of the Swamp

A poem (G.Aggelakas)

"Sitting a whole afternoon

on my old patched armchair

not expecting anyone to knock on my door

and no one to caress me

and no one to whip me

and no one tto accept me

and no one to reject me

I felt something coming

that could be happiness

So then I stood up to write down these words

and everything got lost."

["Καθισμένος ένα ολόκληρο απόγευμα
Στην παλιά μπαλωμένη μου πολυθρόνα
Μην περιμένοντας κανέναν να μου χτυπήσει την πόρτα
και κανέναν να με χαϊδέψει
και κανέναν να με μαστιγώσει
και κανέναν να με δεχτεί
και κανέναν να με απορρίψει
Ένιωσα να με πλησιάζει κάτι
που θα μπορούσε να 'ταν η ευτυχία
Τότε σηκώθηκα να σημειώσω αυτές τις λέξεις
Και όλα πήγαν στράφι"]

a poem by G.Aggelakas.

Welcome back and shall we have a great new season.

Paper Moon (Manos Hadjidakis, 1949)

Melina Mercouri, her most famous picture

ear visitor, prepare for great, for brilliant stuff. Oh-oh spaggetti o. Today is the famous full moon of August. Full moon! The brightest moon of the year will cross the Athenian sky to fall huge and red. Hundrends of archeological sites will stay open till very late tonight with all lights switched off since the reflections of the moonlight to these marbles is one time thing and the Acropolis museum will host a band playing songs about the moon.

Mr. Theodosiou -who is a professor of Astrophysics at the university of Athens- stated clearly: "We were so wrong to step on the moon [...] you know, some things in life should better remain a legend, a myth, a mystery.. and although tonight's moon is neither bigger nor brighter than of other months, we like to believe so in August that the night is warm and the reflection on the ancient marbles so beautiful".

So, there is question... What makes the moon so important? What makes it mysterious and what brings it into songs, poems, books etc.? The fact that it reminds us that we live on a planet is a good answer but not a very successful one since the moon was already too deep into our poems and music long before we realize that earth is not flat. The answer I suppose is "love". And probably this is what Manos Hadjitzidakis had in mind when he composed the following song:

Paper Moon [Χάρτινο το Φεγγαράκι]

music: Manos Hadjidakis

lyrics: Nikos Gatsos

vocals here*: Melina Merkouri

* Herodion = the Roman theater on the hill of Acropolis.

Sea shall bring in birds

and golden stars (will come with) the wind

to caress your hair

to kiss your hand

Of paper is the moon,

the beach is fake,

if you believed me a little

everything would be true

Without your love

time goes by so fast

Without your love

the world is smaller

Of paper is the moon,

the beach is fake,

if you believed me a little

everything would be true.

Melina Merkouri was the Minister of Culture in Greece and she was the first to sing this song acting in the play "The Streetcar named Desire" by Tennessee Williams directed by Karolos Koun. An extremely influential political figure in post-junta period (after 1974) in Greece.

Surrealism in Athens and the Salvation of Soul (1985, Stamatis Kraounakis & Lina)

Lina Nikolakopoulou

urrealism is an element of everyday life in Athens. Let me explain: You wake up when the TV timer switches on, and the sounds of a fight between a truck driver that is on strike and the minister of transport is on its best. Although it's too early for such stuff, you decide to switch off the TV when the crowd of truck drivers behind their representative is rhythmically singing the name of the beautiful young journalist lady that presents the news.

Little before you enter your car you realize that there is a penalty on it because you are supposed to have parked illegally although you have been parking there the last 4 months without a problem and there is absolutely no sign that proves it illegal!

You wait at the traffic lights even when they are green (especially then) simply because of the traffic jam caused by a 2km waiting line of cars for a fuel station. The truck drivers strike left the fuel stations without fuel and only a 10% of fuel stations operate in Athens these days. This, of course, is a great reason for Athenians to wait 2hours in a car line with 35C temperature, to full their cars and buy fuel in bottles as if there is a war coming and there will be no fuel for the next 3 years.

Waiting there, watching two guys fighting because the one tried to cheat the line in front of the other, breathing deep to stay calm you switch on the radio.

And there it comes:

Lina Nikolakopoulou & Stamatis Kraounakis

The salvation of soul [H σωτηρία της ψυχής]

music: Stamatis Kraounakis

lyrics: Lina Nokilakopoulou

vocals: Alktistis Protopsalti

album: Κυκλοφορώ κι Οπλοφορώ (= I'm out & armed).

Countryside’s mornings shall find us again within folded arms in bed,
And it won’t matter that we’re up so early, looking around, but seeking nothing.

All certainty materials are sweet words recorded in tapes,
for all those which passed so swiftly, yet was fully embraced by our heart.

The salvation of soul is a very big thing,
Like a journey of relaxation with a hidden wound

If only we extended the steps of our lives on a deserted beach,
It wouldn’t matter that, all our kisses, before they age, will be washed by the waves

And right by the edge of the seashore we would generously give old pieces of our being,
Those which were so small, but casting a shadow big enough to resemble our palace.

The salvation of soul is a very big thing...

A Rembetiko of 1952 (scene from "The Minor of Dawn")

k, it's late in the afternoon and the Athenean heat a world of pain for all, however the air breeze that climbs up to my 5th floor and the quite urban view of my window made me listen again to a song that was certainly written on a winter night.

You 'll never get to understand its song beuty unless you sing it. I know its hard but give it a try. Picture yourself on a Greek island, on some mountainous village (those with the white houses all over) having a drink sitting outside at a warm night and few tables far from you, a couple of guys with their instruments start playing.

Oh, man. I need holidays.

Your tired footsteps [Το κουρασμένο βήμα σου]

lyrics: Kostas Virvos

music: M. Bakalis (1952)

Here is a scene of an 80's TV series named "The minor of dawn" which was dedicated to rembetiko music. The lyrics in English are given as subtitiles. This specific song was written few years after rembetiko supposingly seased to be. Its form is such, however the presence of a 4-string bouzouki along with other characteristics of its structure places it a bit towards the form of music that followed rembetiko: Laiko (=people's music). We will have the chance to talk about that genre several times since it spreads in almost 4 decades (1950s-60s-70s-80s) and it can't be overlooked.

...What was I saying? Ah, yeap, that I need holidays. That has to wait a bit...

The Match is About to Start! (Loukianos Kilaidonis, 1979)

ith the excitement for the world cup on its high-up, although Greeks are already home, I remembered that song by Loukianos Kilaidonis that goes back to 1982 (a year before the party) that makes fun in a really nice way of how people get crazy about football. It's strange that even today, 28 years later, some still sing it without understanding its sarcasm. A good quality studio version is followed by a live concert (Lycabettus, 1982) by the architect that worked as such for just a day and then he went to be a sailor long before he ends up as a musician to perform silly American melodies with sophisticated Greek lyrics.

The match is about to start

music, lyrics: Loukianos Kilaidonis

The match is starting

the roads are empty

it is about time

the match to start

The match is starting

the city is deserted

hurry up folks

the match is about to start

Oh, how much I fancy

watching team scarfs all around

watching flags

and scoring goals

Oh, how much puts us together

and how thrilling it is

Diakogiannis'* voice

The match is starting

get off my back now

it is about time

for the match to start

The match is starting

everyone stays still

silence please,

the match is about to start

Oh, how much I fancy

watching team scarfs all around

watching flags

and scoring goals

Oh, how much puts us together

and how thrilling it is

Diakogiannis'* voice

And whoever knows

what are all these about

he should explain to me

only when the match is over.

*Giannis Diakogiannis: Retired Greek Sportcaster (a good one)

Loukianos Kilaidonis has definately been the "Lucky Luke" of Greek music. At least he feels so, ending up another of his songs with the last page famous line to Luke's beloved horse: "Let's go Dolly..."

For Someone Out There is Already Too Late (Mikis Theodorakis & Manos Eleftheriou, 1974)

Manos Eleftheriou

he lack of time won't win again over this magnificent song. Mikis Theodorakis -beign along with Manos Hadjidakis the most important composers of modern Greece- dresses up with music the lyrics of Manos Eleftheriou and Maria Farantouri is there to sing.

What a meeting. One time thing. For more about Mikis Theodorakis and that specific period these songs were written, there is a great article you can read here that describes some things in chronological order in a nice musical point of view.

Who, my life

music: Mikis Theodorakis

lyrics: Manos Eleftheriou

sings: Maria Farantouri

Who, my life, who is hunting it down

to single it out in the middle of the night

squealing & screaming the trucks go by

like a fish they've captured me in the net

For someone out there it's already too late

who, my life, who is hunting it down?

Who, for my life, who is in ambush for it

in this world's narrow alleys who is targeting it

where is the one who knows to speak, who knows how to believe

For someone out there it's already too late

who, my life, who is hunting it down?

Mikis Theodorakis

The KKK Took My Baby Away (Ramones in 1981 and Burger Project Today)

Burger Project new album cover "We live in Athens"

hen Ramones released their 6th album in 1981 had no idea that a Greek band (named Burger Project) would be interested in performing one of their songs that way. Neither the Greek band had any idea that they will ever be famous when they uploaded that performance (they were playing at someone's wedding party). Life can be funny, don't you think? You think.

Ramones first:

and the Burger Project follow:

More about those guys in future posts. Although I think that you will do the search yourself anyway, especially if you are not so big Ramones fans (I am not).