Legendary Greek singer Antonis Kalogiannis passed away on Thursday, from a cardiac arrest, at the age of 81, at his home in Athens.
The famous singer was born in Athens in 1940 and worked as a cobbler in the neighbourhood of Kaisariani, until a chance in meeting with Theodorakis, in 1966, would change the course of his life.
Hearing him sing, Theodorakis was enthralled by his dynamic voice and asked him to sing with him on his tours across Europe and the Soviet Union.
It was soon after their collaboration, that Greece’s far-right military dictatorship took over the country, and Kalogiannis fled Greece in 1967.
Kalogiannis formed a band and continued to sing, spreading awareness to the rest of the world about Greece’s oppressive dictatorship.
On his return to Greece in 1972, Kalogiannis got together once again with Theodorakis, and they continued to fight the dictatorship with their songs of resistance, inspiring the people to rise against the Junta.
In addition to his songs of resistance, Kalogiannis is remembered for his moving love songs that were inspired by Greece’s great poets, Yiannis Ritsos and Giorgos Seferis.
After the fall of the Junta, Kalogiannis also collaborated with some of Greece’s most well-known singers, such as Vicky Moscholiou and Alkistis Protopsalti.