To the Wonders of Manos Hatzidakis

If a “great composer” is measured  by the number of songs he wrote that remained eternal, it seems to me that in Greek music the three greatest are Vassilis Tsitsanis, Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hatzidakis. Regarding Hatzidakis, I think that he has left a great mark also on the entire world, mainly because of his international “ambassadors”, the singers Melina Mercouri, Nana Moushouri and also Maria Farandouri.

Making a reasonably sized playlist of his songs is not an easy task as there are dozens of important worthy wonderful songs. I decided to choose the 26 songs that I loved most in the last decades.

I would like to dedicate song no. 16 “Lullaby” (Νανούρισμα) with love and many thanks to my friend Katerina Siapanda-Κατερίνα Σιάπαντα, a great singer, who loves this song very much, and who gave me so much knowledge in Greek music!

I chose to end the playlist with Chava Alberstein’s “Ending Song” in Hebrew lyrics by N. Shemer, to Hatzidakis’ “Dedication”.

!I hope you enjoy the songs

Avi

List of songs:

1. Έλα πάρε μου τη λύπη – Come and take away my sorrow (Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Eleni Tsaligopoulou
2. Αγάπη  μέσα στην καρδια – Love in the heart-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Haris Alexiou
3. Πάμε μια βόλτα στο φεγγάρι – Let’s go for a walk to the moon (Lyrics:Notis Perialis and Giorgos Emirzas) –Harry Belafonte
4. Αθανασία-Athanasia-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Dimitra Galani
5. Άσπρο περιστέρι-White dove-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Pandelis Thalassinos
6. Τώρα που πας στην ξενιτιά-Now that you go to foreign lands-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Nana Moushouri
7. Το φεγγάρι είναι κόκκινο-The moon is red- (Lyrics: Manos Hatzidakis)-Nana Moushouri
8. Η μικρή Ραλλού-The little Rallou-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Manolis Mitsias
9. Χάρτινο το φεγγαράκι-Moon of Paper-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Melina Mercury
10. Τα παιδιά του Πειραιά-The children of Piraeus-(Lyrics: Manos Hatzidakis)-Melina Mercuri
11. Γαρύφαλλο στ’ αυτί – Rose in the ear – (Lyrics: Alekos Sakellarios) – Anna Meliti, Eva Milli, Nafeli Ikonomou, Nikolas Papakonstandino
12. Η Μπαλάντα Του Ούρι (Αχ! Οουρανέ)-The ballad of Uri (Ah, Heavens)-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Vassilis Lekas
13. Τα λιανοτράγουδα–Song in couplets -(Folk)-Eleftheria Arvanitaki and Dimitra Galani
14. Το πέλαγο είναι βαθύ-The sea is deep- (Lyrics: Manos Hatzidakis)-Yorgos Dalaras and Marinella
15. Είμαι αϊτός χωρίς φτερά – I am an eagle without wings – (Lyrics: Eftihia Papaioanopoulou) – Grigoris Bithikotsis
16. Νανούρισμα-Lullaby-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Lakis Papas
17.  Αγάπη που ‘γινες δίκοπο μαχαίρι-Love that you became a double-edged sword-(lyrics: Michalis Kakoyannis)-Eleonora Zouganelli
18. Μίλησέ μου-Speak to me-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Vassilis Papakonstandino
19. Ο Γιάννης ο φονιάς-Yiannis the murderer -(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Manolis Mitsias
20. Θάλασσα πλατιά – wide sea- (Lyrics: Yiorgos Roussos) – Dimitra Galani
21. Φέρτε μου ένα μαντολίνο– Give me a mandolin – (Lyrics: Manos Hatzidakis) – Maria Parandouri
22. Πάει ο καιρός-Time goes by-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Yannis Kotsiras
23. Κεμάλ-Kamal-(Lyrics: Nikos Gatsos)-Vasilis Lekkas
24. Μη τον ρωτάς τον ουρανό-Don’t ask the sky – (Lyrics: Yannis Ioannidis and Panayotis Kokondinis) – Jenny Karezi
25. Εφτά τραγούδια θα σου πω-Seven songs I will sing to you-(Lyrics: Michalis Kakoyannis)-Glykeria
26. Ending song – (Lyrics in Hebrew: Naomi Shemer) – Chava Alberstein