It is almost impossible to write about Manolis Mitsias without getting trapped in the familiar journalistic clichés – “living legend”, “holy monster of Greek song”, and the like – in an era when words lose their meaning, thanks to their indiscriminate use by lifestyle magazines in their attempt to celebrate artists of much lesser stature.

Besides, grandiloquence does not suit a man of low tones, so authentic, who despite the fact that he has worked with the pantheon of Greek singing has always remained down to earth. Who, starting from scratch, made his own way to the top, who never gave in to temptations, conveniences and all kinds of cliques. A man, naturally independent, although he was politicized from an early age, he never became partisan. A man of the left, in very difficult times, he could easily have cashed in his myth, the love of the people, in votes – and he didn’t. Walking the lonely path he chose, he managed to save not only his work, but also his own soul – something that is rare among the personalities his generation produced. If the text looks like hagiography – so be it. Sometimes reality is not so realistic. No matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to find anything to blame him for. Which is impressive, especially when you consider that we are talking about a man with over half a century of career behind him.

It is worth noting that Manolis Mitsias was born and raised in a small village in Macedonia, Zagliveri, and coincidentally was a student of my grandfather, whose
the name I bear and whom, unfortunately, I never met; he died a year before I was born. That’s why Manolis Mitsias is part of our family mythology: from a young age he loved to sing and yet it never even crossed his mind to try to make a career. Fortunately, finally, friends and acquaintances (among them my grandfather, Dimitris – or “Takis” – Polymeros) convinced him not to let his talent go to waste and to go to Thessaloniki to work professionally. …And here he is, fifty or more years later, the young cantor is now a legend of Greek singing and gives an interview to his teacher’s grandson. Life goes round in circles – but Mitsias himself is going round in circles with his new album, “My Sorry City”, since with it he returns to his roots, to chanting, which made him fall in love with music for life.

We spoke on the phone (mercy Coronovii…) – there is nothing pompous or sophisticated about his tone of voice. Listening to him, you can easily discern a spontaneous man, a voice that is gentle and dubious at the same time.

– “About the album, I was invited to sing a song written by Manolis Karpathios, with lyrics by Kostas Balachoutis. Eventually, because I liked it a lot, it was familiar to me, we ended up making a whole album. I tried not to imitate a Constantinople cantor, instead I said it like a folk singer”.
– “The City of the Record represents for me a woman to whom you apologize for what you did; or, perhaps, for what you didn’t do. For what you regret.
– Participants are the excellent performer Marina Manolakou and Grigoris Daravanoglou, internationally renowned cellist and chorus master with many distinctions, born in Istanbul.
– “Ierocles Michaelides also participates, who recites some songs and puts you in the mood of the album.
– “It’s a return to my roots and I’m very proud of this album.
– “I grew up with this music. Many leftists of our generation were and are believers, there is no contradiction in that.
– “The leftists went to church; the communists did not!
– “Once there were singers with wonderful voices, who people came from their villages to hear them, like Kalafatis, Taliadoros.
– “Today there are very few good singers left. The church needs to fix this in order to attract more people.
– “I too, since I was a small child, started going to church to hear those wonderful voices, the music. I’m not religious but that’s what drew me in and that’s why I still go to church. The aesthetic aspect is what connects me to the Divine.
– “I am nostalgic for the past, the people, the situations, the beautiful and the difficult moments. And the music of course
– In the old days record companies like Lyra, producers like Patsyfas loved the song, they were in pain. Today all that has changed, there are no labels that will support the artist, all they want are boxer shorts that will last one day and be forgotten.”
– “I entered the houses of the world through a small window. At that time, hits were slow to come out, but when they did, they stayed. The songs I’ve sung were not easy songs. They were songs that simmered like good coffee!”
– “Many people who entered the singing business were eaten up by the night. The world can swallow you up one moment and spit you out easily the next… That’s why in our business it takes solitude.
– “As long as I can remember, I sing. I couldn’t have done anything else better.
– “I have no desires; whatever I had to do, I did it.

Interview with Dimitris Polymeros