Thanos Mikroutsikos (Greek: Θάνος Μικρούτσικος) (1947- ) was born in Patras… Read Full Bio ↴Thanos Mikroutsikos (Greek: Θάνος Μικρούτσικος) (1947- ) was born in Patras, Greece and is one of the leading composers of popular and classical music in his home country. He studied music theory and piano at the Patras Philharmonic Society and at the Greek Conservatory and continued under Yiannis A. Papaioannou. While studying music he graduated with a degree in Mathematics from the University of Athens.
He blends a lot of musical traditions in his work, from popular to electronic. He has composed a lot of songs based on poems by Greek and foreign poets, such as Euripides, Aristophanes, Constantine P. Cavafy, Giorgos Seferis, Yannis Ritsos, Odysseas Elytis and Nikos Kavvadias as well as Bertolt Brecht, Nazim Hikmet, Wolf Biermann and Maurice Maeterlinck. He has also written operas, symphonic music, chamber music and music for the theatre and cinema.
One of his most popular works was the setting to music of poems by Nikos Kavvadias in his albums Grammes Orizonton (Horizons' Lines) and Stavros tou Notou (Southern Cross). Some of the music was originally written for a TV series, the theme of which was marine. The songs were liked and he went on to the studio to record some more many of which were included in the aforementioned albums.
Thanos Mikroutsikos has also been involved in Greece's political life since the 60's. During the turbulent years of the military junta (1967-1974), he was persecuted by the regime for his anti-dictatorial activities and ideas. When the junta collapsed he continued being actively involved in politics as a member of the maoist EKKE, especially in the first years after the restoration of democracy.
After the elections of October 1993 he was appointed by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) which formed the new government, as Alternate-Minister of Culture with late Melina Mercouri as minister. In 1994 after the death of the latter he was appointed minister of culture. He remained at this position until 1996. His brother is the popular TV host and musician Andreas Mikroutsikos.
He blends a lot of musical traditions in his work, from popular to electronic. He has composed a lot of songs based on poems by Greek and foreign poets, such as Euripides, Aristophanes, Constantine P. Cavafy, Giorgos Seferis, Yannis Ritsos, Odysseas Elytis and Nikos Kavvadias as well as Bertolt Brecht, Nazim Hikmet, Wolf Biermann and Maurice Maeterlinck. He has also written operas, symphonic music, chamber music and music for the theatre and cinema.
One of his most popular works was the setting to music of poems by Nikos Kavvadias in his albums Grammes Orizonton (Horizons' Lines) and Stavros tou Notou (Southern Cross). Some of the music was originally written for a TV series, the theme of which was marine. The songs were liked and he went on to the studio to record some more many of which were included in the aforementioned albums.
Thanos Mikroutsikos has also been involved in Greece's political life since the 60's. During the turbulent years of the military junta (1967-1974), he was persecuted by the regime for his anti-dictatorial activities and ideas. When the junta collapsed he continued being actively involved in politics as a member of the maoist EKKE, especially in the first years after the restoration of democracy.
After the elections of October 1993 he was appointed by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) which formed the new government, as Alternate-Minister of Culture with late Melina Mercouri as minister. In 1994 after the death of the latter he was appointed minister of culture. He remained at this position until 1996. His brother is the popular TV host and musician Andreas Mikroutsikos.
To Mahairi
Thanos Mikroutsikos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Απάνω μου έχω πάντοτε στη ζώνη μου σφιγμένο
ένα μικρό αφρικάνικο ατσάλινο μαχαίρι
όπως αυτά που συνηθούν και παίζουν οι Αραπάδες-
που από ένα γέρο έμπορο τ΄ αγόρασα στ΄ Αλγέρι.
Θυμάμαι, ως τώρα να ΄τανε, το γέρο παλαιοπώλη,
όπου έμοιαζε με μιαν παλιάν ελαιογραφία του Γκόγια,
ορθόν πλάι σε μακριά σπαθιά και σε στολές σχισμένες,
να λέει με μια βραχνή φωνή τα παρακάτου λόγια:
Ετούτο το μαχαίρι, εδώ, που θέλεις ν΄ αγοράσεις
με ιστορίες αλλόκοτες ο θρύλος το ΄χει ζώσει,
κι όλοι το ξέρουν, πως αυτοί που κάποια φορά το ΄χαν,
καθένας κάποιον άνθρωπο δικό του έχει σκοτώσει.
Ο Δον Μπαζίλιο σκότωσε μ΄ αυτό τη Δόνα Τζούλια,
την όμορφη γυναίκα του, γιατί τον απατούσε.
Ο Κόντε Αντόνιο, μια βραδιά, το δύστυχο αδελφό του
με το μαχαίρι τούτο εδώ κρυφά δολοφονούσε
Ένας Αράπης τη μικρή ερωμένη του από ζήλεια
και κάποιος ναύτης Ιταλός ένα Γραικό λοστρόμο
Χέρι σε χέρι ξέπεσε και στα δικά μου χέρια.
Πολλά έχουν δει τα μάτια μου, μ΄ αυτό μου φέρνει τρόμο
Σκύψε και δες το, μια άγκυρα κι ένα οικόσημο έχει,
είν΄ αλαφρή, για πιάσε το δεν πάει ούτε ένα κουάρτο,
μα εγώ θα σε συμβούλευα κάτι άλλο ν΄ αγοράσεις.
Πόσο έχει -Μόνο φράγκα εφτά. Αφού το θέλεις, πάρτο.
Ένα στιλέτο έχω μικρό στη ζώνη μου σφιγμένο,
που ιδιοτροπία μ΄ έκαμε και το ΄καμα δικό μου
κι αφού κανένα δε μισώ στον κόσμο, να σκοτώσω,
φοβάμαι μη καμιά φορά το στρέψω στον εαυτό μου
ένα μικρό αφρικάνικο ατσάλινο μαχαίρι
όπως αυτά που συνηθούν και παίζουν οι Αραπάδες-
που από ένα γέρο έμπορο τ΄ αγόρασα στ΄ Αλγέρι.
Θυμάμαι, ως τώρα να ΄τανε, το γέρο παλαιοπώλη,
όπου έμοιαζε με μιαν παλιάν ελαιογραφία του Γκόγια,
ορθόν πλάι σε μακριά σπαθιά και σε στολές σχισμένες,
να λέει με μια βραχνή φωνή τα παρακάτου λόγια:
με ιστορίες αλλόκοτες ο θρύλος το ΄χει ζώσει,
κι όλοι το ξέρουν, πως αυτοί που κάποια φορά το ΄χαν,
καθένας κάποιον άνθρωπο δικό του έχει σκοτώσει.
Ο Δον Μπαζίλιο σκότωσε μ΄ αυτό τη Δόνα Τζούλια,
την όμορφη γυναίκα του, γιατί τον απατούσε.
Ο Κόντε Αντόνιο, μια βραδιά, το δύστυχο αδελφό του
με το μαχαίρι τούτο εδώ κρυφά δολοφονούσε
Ένας Αράπης τη μικρή ερωμένη του από ζήλεια
και κάποιος ναύτης Ιταλός ένα Γραικό λοστρόμο
Χέρι σε χέρι ξέπεσε και στα δικά μου χέρια.
Πολλά έχουν δει τα μάτια μου, μ΄ αυτό μου φέρνει τρόμο
Σκύψε και δες το, μια άγκυρα κι ένα οικόσημο έχει,
είν΄ αλαφρή, για πιάσε το δεν πάει ούτε ένα κουάρτο,
μα εγώ θα σε συμβούλευα κάτι άλλο ν΄ αγοράσεις.
Πόσο έχει -Μόνο φράγκα εφτά. Αφού το θέλεις, πάρτο.
Ένα στιλέτο έχω μικρό στη ζώνη μου σφιγμένο,
που ιδιοτροπία μ΄ έκαμε και το ΄καμα δικό μου
κι αφού κανένα δε μισώ στον κόσμο, να σκοτώσω,
φοβάμαι μη καμιά φορά το στρέψω στον εαυτό μου
The song "To Mahairi" by Thanos Mikroutsikos speaks of a small African steel knife that the singer carries with him at all times. He acquired the knife from an old merchant in Algiers, who resembled an old painting of Goya, standing next to long swords and torn uniforms. The merchant describes the knife as having strange stories attached to it, with legends claiming that anyone who once owned it has killed someone close to them. The singer lists various historical figures who supposedly used the knife for their own acts of violence, including Don Basilio, who killed Dona Julia, his adulterous wife, and Count Antonio, who secretly murders his unfortunate brother with the same knife. The singer mentions an Arab who killed his young lover out of jealousy and an Italian sailor who stole a Greek sailor's life. The singer goes on to confess his fear that he might one day turn the knife on himself, as he carries it as a reminder of the darkness in the world.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Nikos Kavadias, Thanos Mikroutsikos
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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