“The Gatsos I Loved: A Concert"

This past summer my old friend Rhea Lesage, librarian for Hellenic Studies at the Harvard Library, asked if I would like to join her in organizing a special concert of music with lyrics by Nikos Gatsos. The Harvard Library had for a few years been working on the acquisition of the Nikos Gatsos archive, and during this process, Rhea discovered that the custodian of the archive, Agathi Dimitrouka, had collaborated with some of Greece’s best talent to create a concert of his work. A date was chosen, and though the timeline was short, passion for the project was high. On 14 October, 2018, legendary singer Manolis Mitsias, renowned actress Karyofyllia Karabeti, exceptional pianist Achilleas Wastor, and supreme bouziki and mandolin player Heracles Zakkas performed to a nearly full house at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre.

Nikos Gatsos wrote the lyrics for so much of the 20th century Greek songbook. His lyrics set to the music of composer Stavros Xarhakos are at least half the substance of the 1983 film “Rebetiko,” an account of the life of singer Marika Ninou. Gatsos is everywhere, even though many are unaware that this surrealist poet wrote the lyrics to their favorite songs. It is often the case that the fame of the songwriter is obscured by that of the performer: This concert put Nikos Gatsos center stage.

For those who missed this single USA performance, I have included a link to the concert program, and to a wonderful article by Gregory Nagy, director of Harvard's Center for Hellenic Studies.

https://classical-inquiries.chs.harvard.edu/program-notes-the-gatsos-i-loved/

https://classical-inquiries.chs.harvard.edu/im-burning-up-in-flames-and-im-drowning-on-the-poetry-of-nikos-gatsos-inside-the-music-of-stavros-xarhakos-inside-the-film-rebetiko/