Christos Leontis: “The characteristic of every new generation is to resist and not give up on life”

The composer Chr. Leontis granted an interview to “Odegitis” ahead of the tribute he will present at the Festival at the Kesarianis Shooting Range on April 28

This year, due to the completion of 50 years of the KNE Festival and the “Guide”, the Festival was chosen to stop at all the points of Attica from where it “passed” the previous 50 years. The first stop of the 50th Festival will be Kaisariani, on Sunday, April 28, at the Shooting Range, where this year marks the 80th anniversary of the execution of 200 communists on May Day 1944.

In the context of the tribute that will be presented there, Mr “Guider” discussed with the composer Christos Leontis, where in his music the 200 of Kaisariani meet with the anti-fascists of Chile, the ELASites of December 1944 with the exiled G. Ritsos, as they embrace and kneel before the “dead of the square” of the popular struggles of the whole world. Besides, that’s why the music of Chr. Leonti insists on shining and standing out in the muddy waters of the season, he is a “love – archangel” for our dearest dreams…

• “Odegitis”: Half a century after the 1st KNE-Odegitis Festival. What distinguishes you from the Festival, apart from the fact that it has in its name the “Driver” by K. Varnalis, which was composed by you?

Christos Leontis: The idea of ​​the Festival, which started 50 years ago, was a brilliant idea. The youth of the country was mobilized and a rich cultural work was produced by the KNE, which the whole world embraced and supported with its presence, because it carried its hope and expectations.

All this time, with my work and my physical presence, I was there without fail, at all the Festivals, following the invitation of KNE, with the exception of the last 5-6 years. In this last period I have been following some of the events, mainly music, from various videos and projections. My experience has given me the opportunity to point out some things that, in my opinion, need special attention. Television, the Internet and all modern media have a great influence and shape characters and an aesthetic that often affects and disorients…

Real and daily bombing. The need arises, therefore, to have suggestions, in compensation, in order to give the opportunity to young people – especially – to realize that there are other things in life, of another logic and aesthetics beyond these… television. Vigilance is therefore needed and exploitation of all these modern means offered to give every young person the opportunity to search and investigate so as not to fall victim to his … habit. The Festival’s choices and proposals for young people can contribute crucially and decisively to this goal.

It certainly needs a lot of work and serious study in terms of the aesthetic orientation of the youth… “It’s been a long road to get here…” says Ritsos. It just keeps getting longer and never ending… I say! It is comforting that the Festival tries and contributes, as far as possible, to the steady development of an ideological-artistic orientation, shaping and shaping the consciousness of young people. I hope and am optimistic, as the aesthetic needs of the people still exist, that this goal will be achieved and a way will be found to make them a reality.

In these 50 years of the Festival, countless entries of all categories of artists offered their work, their talent and their work. They also learned a lot from their experience and their fermentation in the world, that I can say that this contact and communication routed and shaped aesthetic perceptions. There are examples that could be motivations and models for creation even today. I remember when there was a composition competition with a jury of Mikis Theodorakis, Ritsos and a few others. The participation of young composers and lyricists was huge. KNE then made a vinyl record with the songs that stood out. I remember the courage that my 1st prize award gave me and how much it also affected my aesthetic-ideological orientation…

Today, it is not at all difficult to repeat something similar. There are many young creators who write beautiful music, remarkable lyrics, but we don’t listen to them…

It’s up to them to go a bit further than the mithos of the song. However, they need help, because the conditions do not favor such a thing… The Festival can create this opportunity for young creators, an outlet for artistic expression and creation. It will help in their future course. Also the creation of a mixed Youth Choir, the creation of a small folk orchestra are suggestions that can be realized immediately and the results of such an effort will be immediate as well. So many young musicians – and not only – exist in KNE. DARE IT.

• “O”: How, where and why can your songs today, which will also be heard at the Shooting Range of Kaisariani (e.g. from the records “Katachnia”, “Smoky Tsoukali”, etc.), be useful, to move and empower?

H.L.: I consider it a duty of honor to hear these songs of mine, especially “Katachnia”, in the place where their sacrifice was the source of inspiration for this work. This historical event, this greatness, works like a beacon, “it is a bright beacon”, as I say in “Katachnia”, for all times, for all ages. Such sacrifices are universal and eternal symbols. From the shows I’ve done in the last 5-10 years, I feel that these songs still carry a burden within them, which not only has not faded away, but on the contrary is growing. These songs should be seen how they function within society. From my experience, I feel the need of the world, its thirst to be “hooked” on the expectations it has and that are inherent in these songs, both in “Katachnia” and “Smoky Tsoukali” and in other songs, which will be heard in Kaisariani .

In modern life, as we live it today and as it develops, one cannot remain unmoved and apathetic to events that we have all seen, e.g. images of immigrants, mothers with their babies, drowned people, even babies… How can such events leave us unmoved… I think today’s youth have a difficult role and path, because they are really bombarded daily with rabid propaganda and this makes them either disillusioned or to resign. However, the characteristic of each new generation is to resist and not give up on life. Right now there are wars going on all around us, fueled by the same people who every week are meeting, meeting, meeting!!! A massive, dynamic, pan-European and global peace movement, is it too late…?

• “O”: What inspires you today and what do you wish for the 50 years of our Festival?

H.L.: I am inspired by what is happening around us, in our neighborhood and around the world. Since man’s worst enemy is his habit, I hope the Festival will make up for his shortcomings. I wish all the children to realize the need to create a renewed Festival, which will be constantly revitalized by their participation and ideas. I still hope that artistic cores will be created among the youth, which cover their own needs and those of society. I wish, finally, that the effort to create the Choir and the folk orchestra of the KNE will be successful.

The road is long!!!… See you at the Shooting Range!

We’ll be there…

A special concert… A concert with one of the country’s greatest composers, Christos Leontis… For sixty years now, his inspiring and deeply human work accompanies us in our every moment.

It was the spring of 1963 when he held his first concert together with Manos Loizos. Mikis Theodorakis introduced the two young composers to the packed “Acropolis”. In fact, at the end of the concert, he offered them a stone that had been thrown at him by parastatal groups, when he conducted the “Epitaph” in Naoussa, in 1961, thus passing the “baton” to the next generation.

Since then, Christos Leontis has not stopped creating and his works are widely embraced by the people. In this 60-year journey, the experiences were many, which gave their transformation into lyrical, erotic, dance, contemplative, etc. songs. A large part of these songs were written for the theater.

“Katachnia”, “Smoky Chukali”, “Ah Love”, “Performances”, “Cantata Eleftherias”, “Erotas Archangelos” are just some of the unique works he has given us. In his long creative journey, he collaborated with great singers, while composing music for great poets. For example, we mention Lorca, Solomos, Makrygianni, Riga, Varnalis, Ritsos, Anagnostaki, Vrettakos, Heimonas, Eleftheriou, etc.

He will present moments from this entire journey this coming Sunday in Kaisariani, in a tribute to the 200, with the first part of the concert including a presentation of the emblematic “Katachnia”, in lyrics by Kostas Virvos. The theme of the project is the triptych “Occupation – Resistance – Liberation”. A shocking work – a tribute to the eternal struggles… “A wooden cross”, “No matter if you throw me in the cell”, “I don’t want you to blindfold me”…

“Katachnia” was released in 1964 with Stelios Kazantzidis and Marinella as performers, as well as the Corinth Choir under the direction of Alekos Papagiannopoulos. The corrections of the footnotes were made by Nikiforos Vrettakos, while Dimitris Myrat was chosen for the narrative parts.