The lives and legacy of Mikis Theodorakis

The Agora

Earlier this month, Greece lost one of the most emblematic figures of its modern era, composer Mikis Theodorakis, who died on September 2 at the age of 96.

Theodorakis was a multi-talented and multi-faceted figure who left his mark due to his radical politics and public interventions as well as his ground-breaking music, which blended Greek popular sounds with classic elements.

On this show, we take a closer look at the influence of this prolific, towering figure. Phoebe Fronista speaks to Dr Panos Stavrianides, an entrepreneur, educator and active member of the Greek American diaspora about the impact Theodorakis’s music and political stance had on him and other Greeks living abroad.

Also, Nick Malkoutzis speaks to Dimitris A. Sotiropoulos, a Professor of Political Science at the University of Athens and senior research fellow at the ELIAMEP think-tank, about what impact Theodorakis had on the public sphere and shaping modern Greece’s identity. Their discussion also touches on whether the composer’s passing marks the end of the public intellectual in Greece, and whether this matters.

This episode also is interspersed with Theodrakis’s music, much of which is played by the Mandragoras group in Frankfurt, Germany and Achilleas and Nino Anastasiades.

Mandragoras: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mandragoras.hannover/

Achilleas and Nino Anastasiades: https://www.youtube.com/user/achanast/featured

More background on Theodorakis

BBC documentary by Maria Margaronis: Mikis Theodorakis Remembered: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct2pty

The Guardian obituary by Gail Holst-Warhaft: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/02/mikis-theodorakis-obituary

Mikis, a Greek for all by Nikos Konstandaras: https://www.ekathimerini.com/opinion/1167289/mikis-a-greek-for-all/

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