Stavros Xarchakos

The Festival audiences will have the opportunity to enjoy a journey through the musical paths of our great composer, Stavros Xarchakos, at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, on June 18th and on July 4th.

One of the great masters of Greek music, inextricably linked to the artistic expression of our collective adventure as a nation from the 1960s to this day, Stavros Xarchakos draws on the power of songs, which, as he notes, “are allies in our struggle for a better life”.

“I don't know how useful it would be to separate songs into political and love-folk songs, some of which can be both, after all, depending on point of view, the moment and the situation we find ourselves in when we listen to them, and, of course, depending on the ‘times’ we are living in, both globally and nationally,” says the acclaimed composer.

“In this concert, I present this part of my repertoire that focuses, first of all, on socio-political issues but is not necessarily devoid of a love-folk character, at a second glance perhaps. I opened my –hermetically closed– drawers and began searching and discovering forgotten musical manuscripts that had once stood by me in difficult times”.

“At such crucial times worldwide, when everything is heavily overshadowed by a cloud of insecurity, I call upon the power of these songs to show us the way as allies in our struggle for a better life, and also drive our fears away. Love is a revolution; for humans, the eternal Holy Grail is Freedom!”

“Maria Farantouri, Yiannis Kotsiras and Iro Saia will perform my new compositions based on astounding poetic creations by Greek poets, and well-known songs that have been cherished and sang by the people for many years now, accompanying them in the happy moments of their lives but not exclusively.”

Songs such as “Ta Pseftika ta Logia ta Megala” [Fake Big Words] will lead to “Kaisariani”, Iakovos Kambanellis’ “To Megalo mas Tsirko” [Our Great Circus] and Manos Eleftheriou’s “Ithaki”, and then we will all come together in “Stis Akropolis ta Meri” [the Acropolis neighbourhood].