Stelios Kazantzidis

Stelios Kazantzidis (August 29, 1931–September 14, 2001) (Greek: Στέλιος Καζαντζίδης) was a prominent Greek singer. Between the 1950s and 1990s he was considered the voice of the Greeks. His death was an emotional event for the Greeks; the obituaries gave full appreciations of his life and his importance.

Such was his emotional attachment to the people of Greece and its migrants, Kazantzidis was given a national funeral through the streets of Athens which was broadcast live on Greek Television.

His death saw Greece and its millions of migrants scattered all over the world, with whom Kazantzidis had formed a bond through his songs, for in Stelios they had a means of expression. His music captured their feelings in the difficult post-war period.

He was considered by many as the most prolific and stirring singer of Greek popular music, or Laïkó, and he worked with many of Greece's most renowned composers and writers. One of the first composers he ever worked with described his voice as "made for expressing anguish".

Here are two songs from him, with black and white photos...

Her Yer Karanlık

The lyrics of this song is a part from a poem by Abdulhak Hamit Tarhan, one of the most influential poets of the late Ottoman period. In 1885, on his way back to Istanbul from Bombay where he used to serve as an Ottoman Ambassador, his wife died in Beirut. In this poem, he expresses his grief stemming from his wife's death.



Bekledim de Gelmedin

Bekledim de gelmedin / Sevdiğimi bilmedin
Gözyaşımı silmedin / Hiç mi beni sevmedin?
Söyle, söyle! Hiç mi beni sevmedin?
Bir öpücük ver bana / Yalvarıyorum sana
Beni kucaklasana / Kollarına alsana
Söyle, söyle hiç mi beni sevmedin

Translation from the original song:

"I waited for you
but u didn't come.
Didn't u know that I loved you?
Didn't u know that I loved you?
U didn't wipe my tears.
Hadn't you loved me once?
Tell me tell me hadn't you loved me once?"