A full length interview with Anastasia Migdani was given a few days ago by the Kythiri artist Thodoris Mavrogiorgis which was published in the online magazine MaxMag. As Anastasia Migdani writes, Thodoris Mavrogiorgis is an artist who, with his music as his «tool», offers to the people who listen to him, everything that exists in him and wants to share it with the public. Read the interview below.
Thodoris Mavrogiorgis: «Loneliness has a negative connotation as a word and I think that's what drags us down»
Edited by Anastasia Migdani
YOUR career in music, as a professional, started with the band «The Wedding Singers», singing English lyrics. In your personal journey, you sing Greek lyrics. Finally, in which language of the two do you like to express yourself more?;
The truth is that when we created «Wedding Singers» we wanted to express our love for dance music in a more unique way. However, even though I have favorite English-language songs that I want to sing at my live shows, if I was forced to choose between English-language and Greek-language repertoire, I would go for the latter without a second thought. I live and think in Greek first, so I think I can express myself better.
Was your involvement with music something you wanted from an early age or did it come later and what was it that played a role in your final decision?;
Because there was music in the house I grew up in as a given, I never had it in my mind as a desire, as something we young people say we want to do when we grow up. It came as a logical outgrowth, I guess, and that's why it took me a long time to realize that my profession is musician and singer. When I realized it I was old enough to turn back, or I just used «age» as an excuse to keep doing what I love.
I know from your interviews that you have a degree in Economics from the University of Athens. Do you think that at some point in your life, if there was a need, you could practice as an economist?;
There was this need when my girl and I had our first bobbin was born and I followed it without hesitation. For five years now I have also been working as a private employee in the morning and I have the impression that at least for me it worked as I imagined it would. On the one hand it gave me a sense of security to a certain extent, even though I had to sacrifice valuable time of my day. However, in trying to better allocate the rest of my less time, I discovered methods that made it more qualitative and creative. You lose something in theory, so you try to turn it into a win in the end.
If I ask you to name a type of music that you admire the most, possibly touches you a little more and maybe it was the trigger for you to finally get involved in music, can you answer me?;
Unfortunately, I can't answer that, because I could never place myself as a listener anywhere in particular. I didn't just listen to rock, rebetiko, dance music, English, art, traditional, etc. I was always primarily interested in the lyrics, and then I would go into the process of observing the music. So I have favourite songs from Chiotis, Alkinoos and Mikroutsikos to Trypes, Pavlidis, Mumford and Sons,The National, Delgres and Arctic Monkeys.
His first personal work was on a track by Karamouratidis and Evaggelatos, entitled «The day I met you». A piece reminiscent of the seventies, tender and melodic. Is it considered a happy coincidence that you started with one of their songs?;
I think it was a blessing and an honour for a performer unknown to the general public to have such a collaboration. The way Gerasimos and Themis work, their respect for music and lyrics is exactly what has brought them to where they are.
I imagine that your subsequent collaboration with both you and Natasha Bofiliou in the musical show «Belle Reve», was a significant moment in your career. Tell us about this meeting and what feelings did it create for you?;
It was really a great moment. I think that even though we had rehearsed a lot, so I was familiar with the space, the wonderful musicians, Natasha and Themis, it was at the premiere that I realized the full extent of what it means to be part of such a performance and to share the stage with Natasha. It was a wonderful performance, crafted in every detail, with great aesthetics and tremendously intense emotions.
Your song «How much of a man are you?», depicts a reality that is governed by loneliness and fear. How scared and alone are we, after all? What's the reason for that?;
Loneliness has a negative connotation as a word and I think that's what draws us in. Perhaps if we accepted solitude as moments when we can listen to ourselves and give ourselves a chance to express our needs, then we could accept our fears and face them. I don't think loneliness is a bad thing. The song speaks to this very thing, that in reality instead of looking in the mirror and facing it, we hide what is bothering us.
Your latest song «Superman» is about memory loss and specifically about Alzheimer's. The lyrics by Irini Tsagaraki, can't help but touch everyone who listens to it, even if we don't have personal experiences. What was it about you that touched you when you first read them and «pushed» you to dress it up with your own music?;
Precisely because I too had no personal experiences, when I read Irene's verse, it hit me perhaps harder than something that would have been more familiar to me. I've been writing for many years, but permanently my thoughts have been stuck in a drawer. Superman came along at just the right time for me to decide to open that drawer and expose this aspect of me. Taking a little distance from the song, I can say with confidence that the emotions that Irene's lyrics created in me pushed me to write music again.
You are the father of two children. All the things that have been happening in the art world lately, I'm talking about the revelations of misconduct, how much does that scare you? If you had to give one piece of advice to your children, what would it be?;
The advice, if there is such a thing, I think should be given to us and not to the children. To create the context so that everyone's children don't have second thoughts when they want to share such an experience. The ideal scenario would be that these offending behaviours can be prevented, but if we are to be realistic, they will not be eradicated all at once. It is society's response to them, our willingness to stand by, that will potentially curb them, little by little, so that at least the masks will not have to «fall off» again. Unfortunately, it is from us «big people» that everything starts and ends, so the question is how we stand up to this. Our manners at home, empathy that seems like a luxury commodity and cultivating our culture will set the tone for our children.
For the past year, with the fear of the pandemic that we are living in, your own area has been greatly affected. Do you think the actions that have been taken are wrong? What could have been done differently?;
Indeed, I think the actions are wrong. A year has gone by and there is not even a discussion, an attempt to find a way in which cultural workers could become active. There are people in charge who are charged with proposing solutions, and at the moment there has been no such thing. I want to be optimistic, but with what has been done so far, I don't see how culture can reopen earlier than the summer of 2022.
In conclusion, if you were asked by a young kid, who has a dream to work professionally in music, what is the advice you would give him?;
As cliché as it sounds, never give up and study as much as you can.
