Mikis Theodorakis (Wassilios Aswestopoulos).

The book of Mikis's Theodorakis (Author: Wassilis Aswestopulous) is not a greeting, but it is a picture of a person who dedicated his life to the people of Greece, making music and contributing to the collective national memory and sense of identity.

He was born in 1925 in Dramis, a small town on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece. His father was a musician whose main passion was the viola da gamba and his mother was a beautiful singer and a teacher. As a child, Mikis was heavily influenced by musical traditions of his family. This influence formed the core of his later musical experiments and production, as well as the basis of his passion for social commentary and action.

During his formative years, he began to study musical instruments and composed his own songs, sometimes collaborating with other musicians, such as Kostas Doxas. In 1947, he moved to Athens to join the Greek Resistance army against the Nazi occupation and to fight for the rights of the nation and freedom of speech. He also became part of the group "The Brothers", a folkloric band that performed patriotic songs and criticized the dictatorship of the time. During the journey, the first forms that the future Mikis would identify as their name, which would take shape in the songs they would perform and soon become his main musical genre.

Following the end of the war, Theodorakis continued to create music, both as an author and composer. He began working as a music journalist and editor for diverse publications, and participated in concerts with many other artists from Greece and abroad. He wrote many poems and songs in Greek and other languages, including Turkish and English. They became some of his most famous, including "Balkan Heroes", "Eleusa Vouno", and "Mia Agapi Kalaia Sou".

Theodorakis's decision to abandon music in favor of writing and politics came after 10 years of professional experience. It was only upon returning to music that he was able to make his disillusionment clear in his songs. Despite the apparent political success of Greece's victory over the occupation, the country was still struggling in the midst of an inflation crisis and many people had suffered tremendous losses during the war.

Throughout his life and career, Theodorakis was always on the side of politics and citizens'rights. However, he never stopped experimenting with music. Inspired by many influences, including blues, pop, jazz, and folk, he constantly looked for new ways to capture human emotions and tell a story through music. Ultimately, his job and purpose were to unite people through song and to express ideas that were felt deeply.