One of the greatest singers of the traditional music of the Aegean islands, Irini Konitopoulou-Legaki, died on Tuesday evening (local time) at the age of 91.
She was born in Keramoti on the island of Naxos and was the daughter of an acclaimed violinist, Michalis Konitopoulos.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said “Konitopoulou-Legaki was …the voice of the Aegean. She preserved the music of the Greek islands, kept it alive and made it modern”.
“Her voice accompanied us in the summer festivals when as young archaeologists we worked in the excavations in the Cyclades. With her characteristic voice, she conveyed the sound of our homeland to Greeks everywhere. Irini Konitopoulou-Legaki leaves behind rich work and great lessons for those who serve traditional music,” the Minister added.
HER STORY
The “Lady of the Aegean”, was born in 1931 in Naxos. Daughter of violinist Michalis Konitopoulos “the baby” and Maria Fyrogenis. Of the eleven (11) children they will have, five will survive. Irini, Giorgos, Kostas, and later Angeliki and Vangelis. With baby Irini, the family will travel to Athens (George will also be born here). During the Occupation they will return to the island. Michalis will work as a builder but at the same time he will excel at events with his violin. After the occupation, George started playing the violin, following the family tradition.
After the release, the radio started looking for representatives from every part of Greece, traditional organ players in order to play live on its shows. Thus, in an audition by Simon Karras, who at that time was the Head of the Traditional Music Department of the Radio, the lute player Dimitris Fyrogenis, Irene’s uncle, is also presented. When after a while Carras asks someone to help him with the song, he thinks of Irene’s 20-year-old niece. Initially, secretly from her father, she sings in “Stathmos”. He initially reacts, but then joins the band, which in 1955 – 1956 together with Anna Karabesini, will record four songs.
At the time she was recording her first songs, she married Stelio Legaki and started raising her children. The man who will give a new impetus to the Athenian family of Michalis Konitopoulos is George, who replaces his father in the band of Fyrogenis. Giorgos, with Irini as the lead singer, will start working professionally for the discography
“Irene had some advantages, which I had the impression that if they were heard they would impress. “There is peace in her voice and a breath that can make you wait for it to stop and for it to continue,” George Konitopoulos said in an interview.
They will make their first joint appearances in 1960 and will release two small 45 rpm records, with traditional songs adapted by George. In 1963 they will record the great hits until today Armenaki, Let’s go to a place, To Artemonas, Maoukas, I reveal with little ones. “Since then, the whole Konitopoulos family has her as a model. He first sang in Center in 1961 (Galatsi). Then for many years he appeared at the “Mouragio” Center. In recent years (from 1984 -2008) she appeared with her daughter Eleni Legaki at the “Armenaki” center. At the same time, apart from Greece, she has also appeared in America.
He also participates in many other albums: “Dirlanda” (1971), “2nd Journey to Greece” (1975), “Songs from our islands” (1975), “Dari-dari, island feast” (1991), “The most beautiful island songs “(1992), etc.
