The song-praise to the struggle of the working class «Mera Majiou mou hates me» from the «Epitaph» by G. Ritsos wrote it when the poet saw in the «Rizospastis» of May 10, 1936 the photo with the mother of the murdered striker Tasos Toussis mourning her son in the middle of the street, in the midst of the great strike of May ’36 in Thessaloniki, The poem, which was uniquely set to music by Mikis Theodorakis, was proposed by Maria Farantouri at the great concert for the Labour Day organized by the KKE KKE, on Friday evening at the Olympic Centre in Galatssi.
This was followed by a programme of emblematic timeless songs by great composers and poets, inspired by the struggles, struggles and desires of working people.
Ascending the stage, Maria Farantouri, addressing the audience of the packed stadium that greeted her with a warm applause, said:
«I want to thank the KKE and all of you who did me the honour of inviting me to sing at this concert, dedicated to the great celebration of workers and workers all over the world, the Labour Day.
In their struggles for a better life, for a better society that helps, that cares about people's needs and their dreams.
Many times I have sung at events organized by the KKE, and recently we were at the Festival of the KNE, at the tribute to Miki's music. The KKE has a tradition of creating cultural and artistic concerts with the participation of many people, especially the youth. These things are never forgotten and I am telling you this because as a very young girl, in the old days, when I was a teenager, young, in the post-independence era, I remember singing at the KKE festivals with Miki, with Manos Loizos and with my own concerts, my own orchestra.
And I am glad because the KKE continues to create culture, to support art and artists, especially in these difficult times, and it does so in a meaningful way. I just want to tell you that I keep alive in me the motto that we have been saying since then: We fight and we sing, we sing and we fight.».
On stage, along with Maria Farantouri, Rita Antonopoulou, the young Eleni Kartelia, Vassilis Yisdakis and Kostas Triantafyllidis alternated and performed uniquely.
The conductor of the evening Manolis Androulidakis thanked the audience and Maria Farantouri from the stage, and presented the band of excellent musicians who accompanied the concert: Achilleas Wastor (piano), Iraklis Zakas (bouzouki), Stavros Kavaleeratos (double bass), David Lynch (brass), Michalis Porphyris (cello), Grigoris Sintridis (drums), Giorgos Tsokanis (keyboards), Manolis Androulidakis (classical guitar) and Christos Michalis (acoustic and electric guitar).
The event began with a greeting on behalf of the KKE KKE by Nikos Mavrokefalos.
After the concert, the General Secretary of the KKE, Dimitris Koutsoumbas, congratulated the performers, while he had met with them before the concert began.
G.M.
