At Amerikis Square

From the production of “7 Quests” at the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus | 2020

ΤSong with lyrics by Makis Tsitas and music by Nikos Vasileiou with Iro Bezou.

Written for the monologue “Not one day” by Makis Tsitas, performed by Iro Bezou and directed by Prometheus Aleifer, as part of the modular production “7 Quests” staged at the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus.

What the Losers Know

Participations with 2 songs | Diastixo | 2014

We are talking about Theodora Tzita’s first personal album. The six songs on this album are composed by Takis Soukas, while the lyrics were written by Dimitris Lentzos, Kostas Balachoutis, Giorgos Mitsigas, and Makis Tsitas.

There are four new songs on this album, which were composed by Soukas particularly for Tzita’s voice. Their titles are: “What the Lost Know” (lyrics: Dimitris Lentzos), “One Morning, when I’ll Be Gone” (lyrics: Makis Tsitas), “Cheers” (lyrics: Makis Tsitas), “Palaces of the East” (lyrics: Kostas Balachoutis). There is one more instrumental song and Tzita’s a cappella cover of the song “Complaints Falling like Rain” (lyrics: Giorgos Mitsigas), which was performed for the first time by Eleni Vitali.

This album is a collection of contemporary ‘laika’ songs arranged and performed with distinct mastery and care.

Theodora Tzita studied classical music, but she quickly turned towards the genre of ‘laika’ songs. As Nikos Batis writes in his review in ogdoo.gr: “With this album she fully expresses her talents. She possesses an ethereal, fresh, but also nostalgic performance style and a charming voice, two elements that win the listener over.” In her review, amongst other things, Anthoula Daniil writes (in Diastixo.gr): “Tzita contains the charisma and charms that every talented singer would wish to have: a characteristic voice, crystal clear, with both range and depth, an expressive performance style and solid foundations.”

Director of production – orchestration: Manolis Androulidakis
Guitars, mandolin, laouto-bouzouki, electric bass, piano, baglamas and voice: Manolis Androulidakis
Bouzoukia (and baglamas in “What the Lost Know”): Manolis Karantinis
Kanonaki: Panos Dimitrakopoulos
Drums: Grigoris Sintridis
Woodwinds and percussion instruments (and the solo in “Palaces of the East”): Andreas Sikkis
Accordion: Dimos Polymeris
Contrabass: Aris Avgerinos

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A Note is Knocking on my Window-Glass

Participation with 2 songs | MLK | 2015

Tatiana Zografou’s new musical work is accomplished with the aid of a team of consummate singers who all contribute, each in his/her own way and unique performance style, to an almost perfect recording.

The lyrics for the songs were written by Marianna Avouri, Filia Dendrinou, Ioulita Iliopoulou, Tatiana Zografou, Veatriki Kantzola-Sampatakou, Stella Michailidou, Pavlina Pampoudi, Stella Tziva, Elisavet Tari and Makis Tsitas.

Notes and words encounter one another in order to carry both young children and adults off into the dream-world of Tatiana Zografou’s music. Light melodies, lyricism, rhythm and inventive orchestrations are the main characteristics of this album.

The singers are (in alphabetical order): Savina Giannatou, Vasilis Gisdakis, Irini Dermpei, Dimitris Zervoudakis, Eleonora Zouganeli, Christos Thivaios, Kostas Thomaidis, Vasilis Kazoullis, Aphrodite Manou, Lavrentis Machairitsas, Daphne Panourgia, Vasilis Papakonstantinou, and Sophia Papazoglou.

The musicians on the album are: Lefteris Grivas (accordion), Vangelis Zografos (contrabass), Panagiotis Kanellopoulos (mandolin), Amalia Kountouri (flute), Dimitris Bouzanis (piano), Michalis Porfiris (violoncello), Kostas Vomvolos (accordion on track 9 & orchestration on track 4), Giorgos Zareas (trombone on tracks 2 & 3), Kostas Papageorgiou (guitars), Dimitris Papadopoulos (trumpet on tracks 2 & 3), Kostas Sermpetis (marimba, percussion instruments), Thodoris Rellos (saxophone), Dimitris Terzakis (viola), Giorgos Filippas (latin & traditional percussion instruments).

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The Source of Miracles

Participation with 3 songs | Metronomos | 2017

Giorgos Stavrianos’s new recording entitled The Source of Miracles is out now from Metronos Publications.

The CD includes four songs whose lyrics have been written by the composer himself (“The Wind Descends”, “Hot Sunday”, “The Sinner”, “It’s on You”), three songs where the lyrics have been written by Makis Tsitas (“My Old Self”, “Don’t Speak”, “Time Is a Kid”), a Constantine Cavafy poem “The Polis,” and an instrumental track “Atonement.”

The songs are sung by Nena Venetsanou, Vasilis Gisdakis, Foivos Delivorias, Sophia Papazoglou, Kostas Parissis, Miltos Paschalidis, and the composer Giorgos Stavrianos himself. The instrumental composition was revised and performed by Notis Mavroudis. Kostas Parissis did the arrangements.

Giorgos Stavrianos stated: “Art awakens conscience – music in particular. And today it has become the last bastion, the last fortress of defense for our freedom. The Source of Miracles does not pour forth water, but creativity, artistic creativity. Because every artistic creation is a source of miracles!

The following musicians played: Alexandros Kouros (piano), Kostas Parissis (acoustic, electric and bass guitar, as well as keyboard), Thanasis Vasilas (bouzouki, baglamas), Dinos Christianopoulos (accordion), Marios Papoulias (violin), and Tasos Peppas (drums).

Cover Photo: Maria Kossifidou.

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Wearing a Yellow Beret

Participation with 2 songs | MLK | 2017

Fifteen songs, with music composed by Tatiana Zografou, carry us away – this time in her yellow Citroën 2CV – to places with strange fairy tales, odd myths and silver moons.

The lyrics were written by Marianna Avouri, Filia Dendrinou, Tatiana Zografou, Ioulieta Iliopoulou, Veatriki Kantzola Smpatakou, Elissavet Tari, Stella Tziva, and Makis Tsitas.

Dimitris Bouzakis orchestrated the songs and the album was edited by Nikos Platirachos. The choirs of the Arsakeia-Tositeia Schools also participated in the recording, under the direction of Christina Varsami Koukni.

The songs contained in this album are sung by Dimitris Zervoudakis, Lavrentis Machairitsas, Giorgos Ntalaras, Alkistis Protopsalti, Aspasia Stratigou, Nefeli Fasouli, and alongside the lyrical singers Dimitris Alexandritis, Tasos Apostolou, Christina Giannakopoulou, Kostas Zampounis, Thomas Masouras, Daphne Panourgia, Elena Papanikolaou, and Kostis Rasidakis.

Tatiana Zografou said: “This year I turned 45. For how much longer will I be able to write songs for children? For, as you know, it takes a lot of courage as one gets older to insist on staying close to young children. Of course, I do not even know if I manage to do so at all. In any case, however, I’m still trying. Fortunately, I have my children and the children at my school, the ones to whom I teach music, all of which definitely helps. I also have my musicians. They get older too, but we grow old together. Together. Always with love! The singers that believe in and support my work in the field of children’s music help as well. I thank them for that. All of them! I thank the amazing singers, lyrical or not, that enlighten, through their performances, the entire repertoire of Greek music. Well known or not, they all practice their art in the most precious manner. And, of course, I am also thankful to my lyricists who through their poems fill both my mind and my records with images and colors. However, it does take me a year or so to create a CD now, to record it, that is. You see, everything moves more slowly… But why should that matter? We are together now once again with 16 songs about fairy tales, myths, and moons. Flying, as always, over the city with my yellow hat, because it’s sunny and we are holding the hands of Little Red Riding Hood, the Witch Efterpi, and Jack who’s in love. Off we go! Fairy tales fuse into one another. Let’s go look for the truth together. And if we get tired, we can take a nap in the arms of the moon, there under the starry summer sky. And then, along with Alexandros, Leoni and Ariadne, we will hop together into the yellow 2CV of KEX, and we will fly again, singing once more!”

The cover image of the Citroën 2CV was created by painter Christos Kechagioglou.

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