«He »passed away" at the age of 91 For years, she has been one of the most important voices in island music. The reason for the Eirini Konitopoulou-Legaki who passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, March 29. It had been known since June 2021 that the folk singer had been facing health issues.
According to an earlier report by the newspaper Espresso and journalist Nikos Nikolizas, the 91-year-old «Kyra-Rinio», as the residents of the Aegean islands called her, had undergone surgery following a serious health issue diagnosed by the hospital’s doctors. The article reported at the time that it all began at Easter 2021, when the great traditional singer He underwent some standard tests. There, she was diagnosed with a severe decline in her health. After the death of her two children, who «passed away» at a very young age, she withdrew into herself, which led to her health problems.
For years, she had avoided any events held in her honor, as she was deeply grieving the loss of her children. Throughout this time, of course, her two daughters, Eleni and Maria, as well as her grandchildren—who are following in her footsteps as performers of traditional island songs—stood by her side.
A few words about the «queen» of island folk music
H Eirini Konitopoulou – Legaki She was born in Keramoti, Naxos, on December 15, 1931. In 1951, she moved to Athens. She became particularly well-known through her collaboration with the National Radio Foundation (EIR), headed by Simon Karas. In 1955, she married Stelios Legakis, and they had four children. Together with her brother Giorgos Konitopoulos, her daughter Eleni Legaki, and her brother Giorgos, they made a significant mark in the world of traditional music. Starting in the 1960s, she released dozens of albums and gave many concerts in Greece and abroad.
