To Tania Tsanaklidou the stage is home. Tania, one of Greece’s important singers and actresses, who sing some of the finest songs in Greek music, is very modest in her personal life, but she a fire on stage.
From April people were surprised to find her singing in the streets, in Metro stations, in parks, like any Street Singer. The hard time which had passed on the Greek people, the bad news from the demonstrations in streets of Athens and the politics, influenced her mentally and physically. “At times you are not singing you feel ill” said her friends. And she wanted to make people relieved, happier.
On the first day, she and her musician friends, sung in one of the Metro stations. At first, says Tania “people were searching hidden cameras. They had been thinking that it is a film’s shooting, a joke, and when time passed people understood that this was only for those who were passing in the street. Gradually surprise gave way to embarrassment. A lady turned to give us fifty euros. We explained her that we don’t take money, we sing for ourselves. And she bent down to kiss our hands. It was like we all need something unexpected…”
Tania has a hard criticism on what had been seemed as Greek affluent society, on people which had been buying excessively unnecessary products, when Greece didn’t have really the resources. “The excesses carry great misery” says Tania. And she was shocked by the behavior of the police in the demonstrations, “I saw the police beating people who had taken refuge in shops and cafes”
And for this is the singing in the streets and round Greece this summer .Not for making a living. “It was a social political and human action and a sense of relief and freedom. Without any kind of dependence…. let us first come back to ourselves and then to our art…”
I am a poor, tired, oppressed little man.
Humbles’ and other birds’ mate.
Why don’t you leave me alone?
Leave me alone all of you.
I want to live free
without identity anymore.
All the life they hold me, move me with a string.
Words, schools, morning evening work over the bench.
Why don’t you leave me alone?
Leave me alone all of you.
I want to live free
without identity anymore.
Where happiness is in front, some thief is already there.
And any bad that makes the boss, I am the wrongdoer
Why don’t you leave me alone?
Leave me alone all of you.
I want to live free
without identity anymore.
O anhtropakos-The little man
Words: Lefteris Papadopoulos
Music: Giorgos Hatzinasios
And one more:
The headline and the story had been taken from Tania’s interview by Giota Sikka athttp://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_civ_2_10/07/2011_448551
avinishri
In The Beginning Of The Song 