Maria Farantouri

Maria Farantouri is a Greek singer who was born 28 November 1947 in Athens. She is also a political and cultural activist.

 

During the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 Maria Farantouri recorded protest songs in Europe with Mikis Theodorakis. The most important song that she sang with Mikis Theodorakis was ”Canto General de la Tierra” by Pablo Neruda.
In 1967 in Greece the democrats lost the power and until 1974 there was a strong dictatorship that forced many poets, artists, politicians and philosophers into exile.
The same happened for Maria Farantouri. When she went into exile she started to fight against the oppressive military politics of Greece. She did a lot of concerts with big musicians and singers with the aim of making the people aware of what was happening in Greece in those years.
In the same years she recorded "Songs and Guitar Pieces by Theodorakis" with the Australian guitarist John Williams which included seven poems by Federico García Lorca. She recorded songs in Spanish, Italian and English.
After this critical but most important moment of her career she returned to Greece in 1974. Farantouri resumed her successful music career and began to expand her music style in a variety of directions, including jazz.

Maria Farantouri was an elected member of the Greek Parliament from 1989-1993 representing the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).

While she mostly performs works by Greek writers and composers, Farantouri continues to expand herself creatively and can interpret nearly any style of music in her own unique way. It is a real pleasure to listen to her different musical productions and when I listened to her songs for the first time I was surprised by her amazing voice.


Discography
• John Williams Maria Farandouri: Mikis Theodorakis – Songs Of Freedom (1974)
• Maria Farantouri: Mosaic,
• 17 Songs (Maria Farantouri album)
• Maria Farantouri: Way Home,
• Mikis Theodorakis: Sinfonietta, Farantouri, Thomaidis, Schmiedt, Frankfurt Chamber Orchestra, Theodorakis
• Mikis Theodorakis: Farantouri Cycle
• Eleni Karaindrou: Elegy of the Uprooting
• Charles Lloyd & Maria Farantouri: Athens Concert
• Maria Farantouri: Maria Farantouri Sings Taner Akyol - Maria Farantouri sings in Greek translation poems of the persecution suffered by the Kurdish people.
• Mauthausen Trilogy

 

 

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