The Remarkable Journey of Mikis Theodorakis: A Musical Icon Defying Boundaries

Primary School of Bafra presents

Mikis Theodorakis A Tribute

His life His fame surpassed the country's borders early on. He composed perhaps the most recognizable Greek rhythm internationally, the syrtaki from the film "Alexis Zorbas" (1964), while his songs were performed by famous artists, such as the Beatles, Shirley Bassey and Edith Piaf.

He invested musically well-known films, such as "Z" (1969), which was awarded the BAFTA Award for Original Music, "Phaedra" (1962), with songs with lyrics by Nikos Gatsos and "Serpikos" (1973), for the music of which he was nominated for a Grammy in 1975 (the same award he claimed for his music "Alexis Zorba" in 1966).

From a very young age he developed a rich resistance and political action. A milestone in his life was the integration into the reserve ELAS of Athens, with which he takes part in battles against the Germans and the Security Battalion, as well as in Dekembriana. Because of his progressive ideas, he is persecuted by the police authorities. For a time he lives illegally in Athens without stopping his revolutionary activity. In 1947 he was exiled to Ikaria and a year later he was transferred to Makronissos, from which he was discharged in August 1949.

In 1967, the colonels' dictatorship forbids the performance, sale and listening of his songs. In the same year he becomes a founding member of the resistance organization "Patriotic Anti-dictatorial Front" (PAM) and because of his action he was arrested in August 1967.

This is followed by his imprisonment on Bouboulina Street, his solitary confinement, the prisons Averoff, the great hunger strike, the hospital, the release and house arrest, the deportation with his family to Zatouna, Arcadia and, finally, the Oropos camp. All this time he composes continuously, while many of his works manages, in various ways to be sent abroad, where they are performed by Maria Farantouri and Melina Mercouri.

Thanks to him and his melodies, the general public got to know the Greek poets, while with various interventions, books and interviews he remained active until the end of his life. Some of the best known poems known to us as melodies by Mikis Theodorakis are the following

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If you remember my dream Tonight sleep in my arms like a star again there is no hope left for the world now that the night sews kisses on your body count the pain and leave me alone in the desert If you remember my dream i am waiting for you to come with a song of the road come to my dream the summer when the star shines dress yourself with light

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My Margaret,my Margie Your mother is crazy and locks you down. Once I desire to enter your bedroom, you throw down at me a silk rope and we're seen locked up by the night, by the stars and by the sunrise. My Margaret, my Margie is a small dove flying to the sky... I look at the sky through your eyes, I see the spangle and the constellation. Your mother is crazy and locks you down. Once I desire to enter your bedroom, you throw down at me a silk rope and we're seen locked up by the night, by the stars and by the sunrise. My Margaret, my Margie is a small tree in Botanikos... Hop on the tram once you see the night falling. Alongside the dropped hours, I faint out. Your mother is crazy and locks you down. Once I desire to enter your bedroom, you throw down at me a silk rope and we're seen locked up by the night, by the stars and by the sunrise. My Margaret, my Margie is a small boat sailing across Saronic... Oh, Saronic bay, hand me over your small waves, give me the breeze and grant me the pelago.

: : "Denial" is one of the poems of G. Seferis set to music by Mikis Theodorakis in Paris in 1960 and recorded in February 1962, with the voice of Grigoris Bithikotsis for the album "Epiphany".

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Denial In the secret bay white as a dove we became thirsty at noon; but the water was undrinkable. Atop the blonde sand We wrote her name; How lovely did the wind blow and it erased the writing. With such heart, such spirit, Such desires and such passion we lived our lives; erroneously! and then altered our ways.

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Who Is (Chasing) My Life Who is chasing my life, And (trying) to isolate it in the night? Trucks are screaming and whistling, They've caught me like a fish in a net Who is stalking my life? Who is aiming at it in the alleys of this world? Where did he who knows how to speak....go? He....who knows how to believe? For someone in this world, it's too late Who is chasing my life?

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Prepare the Mattress for the Two of Us Dark is the road of my journey until I get to meet you come show yourself halfway to me my hand to you I'll offer I hugged you and you hugged me too you took from me and I took from you I got lost into your eyes and in your destiny Prepare your bed (mattress) for two for you and for me let us fall in each other's arms to resurrect it all again Prepare your bed (mattress) for two for you and for me let us fall in each other's arms to resurrect it all again

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Sorrow You do not know the frost of a moonless night To know not at which moment the pain will take you The sea-shore is long, the waves are high The sorrow is great and bitter the sin Within me a bitter river,the blood of your wound and your kiss on the mouth even bitter than blood Within me a bitter river,the blood of your wound and your kiss on the mouth even bitter than blood

- Zorba Alexis Zorbas, the most famous hero of Nikos Kazantzakis and the author's alter ego in the novel of the same name, was a real person. "Life of Alexis Zorba"In this top novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, through the dialogues of the two main characters, all the problems that have occupied the great Greek writer from time to time are presented, such as metaphysical anxieties, the problem of human freedom, the limits and possibilities of human action, the way to truly experience life and the question "what is its meaning", man's debt to the world and its ancestors.

These problems are dealt with in a completely different way by the two interlocutors.We could say that Zorba represents the ideal of the author. The two complement each other. Kazantzakis is the man of spirit who lives mainly through his thoughts and desires, while his partner is a Dionysian character who "experiences" life, while at the same time demanding from the author answers to the existential questions that torment him. This story could not fail to be transferred to the cinema. The great Greek director Michael Cacoyannis made in 1964 the film "Zorba the Greek", in a British-Greek production. The role of Zorba was taken over by Anthony Quinn and kazantzakis by Alan Bates. Irene Pappa and Sotiris Moustakas were still playing

- Syrtaki : The music of the film was written by Mikis Theodorakis and became known worldwide as "Syrtaki". Greek Zorba Alexis Zorbas zorba dance

Primary School of Bafra,Ioannina,Greece A Tribute to Mikis Theodorakis By Sixth grade 2021-22

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