Great to read about the story behind „Canto General“. On the evening of September 10, 1973, Mikis Theodorakis, his orchestra, Maria Farantoui, Petros Pandis and a choir of young singers from Stockholm, were in Mendoza, Argentina. The next day they were supposed to cross the Andes to go to Santiago de Chile. Only a bit more than 200 km or so away. There they would meet Pablo Neruda, a long time friend of Mikis. In the Stadium of Santiago the concert was planed to take place. The now finally completed composition of large parts of the "Canto General". But that night was the beginning of 9/11 in Chile, which the USA, partly responsible for it, is so keen to keep quiet about. Pinochet and his cohorts overthrew the legitimate government and murdered Salvator Alliende. The stadium became a mass prison and immediately the site of many murders, to which the well-known singer Victor Jara also fell victim. Mikis and his ensemble had to return to their European exile. Neruda died of a heart attack just a week later. His body was buried at his home in Santiago. But a group of marauding soldiers broke into the house and desecrated the body. I get goosebumps when I see this shot from this very stadium, so many years later. THANKS A LOT!
Very emotional and extremly powerful song. Petros is the sole singer who can present it as it should be. Thanks for sharing. ❤
Merveilleux et émouvant.
Great to read about the story behind „Canto General“. On the evening of September 10, 1973, Mikis Theodorakis, his orchestra, Maria Farantoui, Petros Pandis and a choir of young singers from Stockholm, were in Mendoza, Argentina. The next day they were supposed to cross the Andes to go to Santiago de Chile. Only a bit more than 200 km or so away. There they would meet Pablo Neruda, a long time friend of Mikis. In the Stadium of Santiago the concert was planed to take place. The now finally completed composition of large parts of the "Canto General". But that night was the beginning of 9/11 in Chile, which the USA, partly responsible for it, is so keen to keep quiet about. Pinochet and his cohorts overthrew the legitimate government and murdered Salvator Alliende. The stadium became a mass prison and immediately the site of many murders, to which the well-known singer Victor Jara also fell victim. Mikis and his ensemble had to return to their European exile. Neruda died of a heart attack just a week later. His body was buried at his home in Santiago. But a group of marauding soldiers broke into the house and desecrated the body. I get goosebumps when I see this shot from this very stadium, so many years later. THANKS A LOT!
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Canto General is like a national anthem for all Latin Americans and most of the Greeks don't even know its existence