His name has been associated with the "golden age" of Greek cinema. With a host of top performers, many
of whom he highlighted through his songs (from Nana Mouschouri and Marinella to Yiannis Poulopoulos and Yiannis Vogiatzis). Although the compositional work of Mimi Plessas does not stop there, however, the folk music he wrote for the big screen and the stage are the ones that have been widely accepted for years now by those Greeks who still fall in love and dream, to sing and dance with their soul.

To the prolific creator who has over fifty years of successful career, the Concert Hall dedicates an evening filled with his songs that we all loved, songs that move us as they hold up to this day, all their freshness.

 In the concert-tribute to the fruitful and consistent course of Mimi Plessas in the Greek pentagram, which will take place on Tuesday 24 April, at 8.30 in the evening in the Christos Lambrakis Hall, the first place is held by the pieces from the famous Cycle of songs of "The Road" (1969) – songs included on the album of the same name, the first Greek to become gold – , pieces from the Cycle "Talk to me about freedom" – banned by the junta of colonels – as was the song "Tonight I Got Grace", all in lyrics by Lefteris Papadopoulos.

Four accomplished performers of the younger generation, Gerasimos Andreatos, Melina Aslanidou, Rita Antonopoulou and Spyros Kleissas, accompanied by the "En Fonais" Choir and the ERT Contemporary Music Orchestra - under the musical direction of Miltos Logiadis - undertake to give the trigger for an evening of genuine folk entertainment with audience participation. The orchestrations of the songs are signed by the composer. The repertoire consultant is Giorgos Monemvasitis.

They cooperate with the Orchestra: o Mimis Plessas on the piano, George Pahis (bouzouki), Nasos Sopilis (keys) and Dimitris Stasinos (electric guitar).

The concert-tribute to the music of Mimi Plessas is part of the Greek Song Series.

Who doesn't know and hasn't sung "The Statue", "Maria laughed", "Get My Girl Drunk Tonight", Sunday dawns, "First time" or "Give me your mouth"; Pieces that along with so much more, famous and beloved ("The Madman", "Frankoklissa", "I got cloud two places", "Myrsini puts on the whites", "Twelve Mandolins", "There was a deep silence") are included in the now legendary "Road" of Mimi Plessas. In the first Greek record to go gold, album that broke every sales record in the years that followed.

His story began one night at the house of Lefteris Papadopoulos, when Mimis Plessas accidentally saw some of his scattered manuscripts on the table. Feeling “unspeakable tenderness as I read them, since they described my teenage years, the years during the Occupation", as he himself narrates, he asked the great lyricist to take them to set to music. The composer wrote their music in two days, the late director of the Lyra company, Alekos Patsifas, he immediately approved them, even giving the title of the album, and so things went their way. These songs, with Yannis Poulopoulos as the main performer as well as Rena Koumiotis and Popi Asteriadis, recorded – within 10 by Dimitra Papanastassopoulou is published by Dioptra Publications – at Columbia Studios and released it 1969.

In January 1970 "The Road" was transferred to the stage of the "Paxinos" theater, with the same coefficients. But he was censored and hunted by the dictatorial regime as extra songs were added to the show that contained clear messages against him: the "six men" ("Six bothered them but did not testify" ) performed by Yannis Poulopoulos and "Tell me about freedom (and the sun will come back)» by Rena Koumiotis, (songs contained in the following album of the duo Plessa-Papadopoulos "Speak to me for freedom" 1974) while "Tonight I Got My Grace" was bootlegged as an independent single in the same year, the 1970 in the 'Poulopoulos 4' edition. The album "Talk to me about freedom", unlike "The Road", is considered one of the most "unfair" in the history of Greek music as the lyrics of his songs with the main theme of the "black" but also such a historic period for our country 1940-41, they disturbed the junta of the colonels which banned its circulation.

The album though, was published after the post-colonial revolution but was "lost" in the overabundance of political songs that overwhelmed Greek music production at that time. Nevertheless, it deserves special attention since it includes pieces ("this sky", "It was October (Fascism will not pass)», "Heaven", "Jannis", “The cicada (In Pelion)», "The Killed Boy", "from hunger", "Talk to me about freedom", "my mother", "My imprisoned moon", "Six Men" and "The Last Days"), which mentally transport the listener to the gloomy era of the Occupation through the shocking images of the lyrics of Lefteris Papadopoulos.

Mimis Plessas was born in Athens. From his student days he was the first piano soloist in the Greek Radio, while in 1951, in age 27 years, was awarded the University of Minnesota's first music award. From the 1952 his involvement with composition began, sector in which he repeatedly distinguished himself in Greece and abroad. With his quartet and orchestras he collaborated with famous singers of the time (Danae, Tony Marouda, Nini Zaha, Jimi Makouli et al.) and highlighted with his songs many today famous singers and actors (Nana Mouskouri, Jenny Vanou, Yovanna, Marinella, Rena Koumiotis, Yannis Vogiatzis, Yannis Poulopoulos, Toli Voskopoulos, Strato Dionysiou et al.). He worked for theater and cinema and received Greek and international awards (in Paris, Edinburgh, Alto Monte, Washington, Karlovy Vary ).

He has written music for 104 movies and 70 theatrical performances. His records have gone gold and platinum many times. The prolific composer has dabbled in all genres of music, from instrumental and symphonic to folk, experimental and modern (we mention the music written by the 1993 for the National Theater performance of Orwell's Animal Farm, the folk opera "Zeus" with a libretto by Yiannis Kalamitsis (1998), the oratorio "Cosmas the Aetolos, the Saint of slaves" in a libretto by Iakovos Avlitis (1999), the operetta "Ta kamomata tou nekoskom" with a libretto by Kostas Virvos (2001), inspired by the Dialogues of Lucian and the symphonic poem "The Dance of the Spheres" (2006), order of Eugenideos Planetarios). The 2000 the Mayor of Athens honored him for his fifty-year contribution to Greek Music and Culture with the "Gold Medal of the City" while a year later, the President of the Republic awarded him the Golden Cross of the Order of the Phoenix for his contribution to culture.

Info

Location Athens Concert Hall (Christos Lambrakis Hall), Vasilissis Sofias and Kokkalis, Athena
Date Tuesday 24 April, 20:30
Information http://www.megaron.gr/
Ticket prices € 14,00 – 25,00 – 35,00 – 50,00 (Distinguished Zone)
Special Prices: € 7,50(Students, young people, unemployed, DISABLED) – 9,50 (65+, many children)

Source :  culturenow.gr