This is a work of fiction based on Stelios Kazantzidis' life
A film by Tanweer Productions
In co-production with
And with the support of
CHRISTOS MASTORAS
AGORITSA ECONOMOU - KLELIA RENESI
ASIMENIA VOULIOTI - DIMITRIS KAPOURANIS
ANNA SIMEONIDOU - YORGOS GALLOS
Casting Makis Gazis ICDN
Makeup artist - Hair stylist KATERINA VARTHALITOU - CHRONIS TZIMOS
Sound - Mixing - Sound design Y,ANTIPAS - K,VARIBOPIOTIS - A,LOUZIOTIS
Production manager - Supervising producer YANNIS YAKOVIDIS - NANCY KOKOLAKIS
Editing YANNIS TSITSOPOULOS
Original Music MINOS MATSAS
Set design - Costumes ANTONIS DAGLIDIS - MARIA KONTODIMA
Director of Photography YANNIS DRAKOULARAKOS
Executive Producers DIMITRIS MICHALAKIS - YORGOS XANTHAKIS
Executive Producers FAYE TSITSIPI - STATHIS KAMVASINOS
Co-producer DIMITRIS MELISSANIDIS
Producer DIONISIS SAMIOTIS
Screenplay by KATERINA AT
Directed By YORGOS TSEMBEROPOULOS
STELIOS
I told you,
When he’s out on the boat, he loses track of time,
-Thank you, -What time did he say?
Two and a half hours past the time, Mrs, Vasso,
Come on then,
I’ll take you there,
Has he taught you how to fish as well?
From day one,
I was all dressed up for a date,
And he took me longline fishing,
The Kazantzidis method,
He's known to be passionate about it,
A passion and a getaway,
He’ll tell you himself,
Since you got him to talk, he’ll tell you firsthand,
But not before he tells me off,
Vasso, come on,,,
What were you thinking? You scared the fish away,
My sweet boy!
You’re soaking wet,
Let me take those off,
-Dad? -He’ll be here soon,
He’s handing out food rations,
-Will he bring any for us? -If there’s any left,
You’re my prince, Hear what I'm saying?
Sure, in shoes with holes,
Nice shoes won’t make you a decent man, kid,
Yesthimani, get me ready to go up the mountain,
Organisation X caught Leonidas,
What about us, Babis? What'll happen to us?
No!
Damn commie! Who do you take yourself for?
You've been told to mind your own business, haven't you?
Why feed them? Let them starve to death!
Dad?
Stelios,,,
Your mother,,,
Together, we can fix everything,
We are from Pontos,
Who are you?
Stelios,
You are a Kazantzidis,
We are the Kazantzidis family! That means hard-working,
We will get by,
You and me,
And the little one,
He'll stay at the orphanage in Athens, until we get back on our feet,
No!
Don’t you say no to me!
My whole life
Is a heavy duty
Takes all I have
Gives nothing back
My whole life
Is a heavy duty
You had it rough, sir,
Didn't everyone?
Hard times,
Kiddo, cut that "sir" talk, like we said,
I’ll try to,
Then, your military service in Makronissos,
Retribution for your father, sir,
I mean, your father,
You have no idea,
Beatings, imprisonment,,,
And then, a mule guide in Trikala,
Hardship is an understatement,
I had to look after forty mules all by myself,
Have you really been kicked by a mule?
Lucky I wasn't crippled,
I hate the memory of it,
What about singing?
When did you first sing?
My grandma used to sing an amanés at the refugee camp,
I would keep the beat with a wooden spoon on a frying pan,
The sorrows of this foreign land
Have eaten up my soul
The sorrows
Of this foreign land
Have eaten up my soul
Without a mother
Father or brother
I am alone as a bird
Boss, it won't happen again,
-I need the job, -No, they are,
You were meant for this,
I've been struggling with it for a while,
For nothing,
As much as I like music, I can't get the hang of it,
But I feel it when I hear it,
You can put this to good use,
The sorrows
Of this foreign land
Have eaten up
My soul
Without a mother
Father or brother
I am alone as a bird
With no mother
Father or brother
I am alone as a bird
Oh bloody foreign lands
Hardly a laughter to spare
Oh bloody foreign lands
Evening, ma'am,
Who's singing?
My son,
May I speak to him?
Pardon me, I'm Manthos Venetian,
I'm a musician,
Just a moment,
Stelios?
A gentleman is asking for you,
Says he's a musician,
Let him in,
Come in,
Hi,
I am in a band, and we are looking for a singer,
I was walking by, I heard you singing and,,,
Great voice,
We play at Voutsas tavern in Kalogreza,
-On Saturdays, -He has a job,
Mother!
How much will he make?
His fare and a hot meal,
Tas kebab and fries,
But it's a good joint, Industry folks hang out there,
Musicians,
You'll meet people,
Deal,
Stelios,
Manthos,
Kazantzidis,
There's a fire, there's a flame
Burning deep inside my heart
Like you cast a spell upon me
My sweet Fragosyriani
Like you cast a spell upon me
My sweet Fragosyriani
I will come to meet you
Down by the shore
Kiss me and caress me Fill me to the brim with love
I hope he is not a midget,
No, a tall guy, Handsome,
Stelios! It's your lucky day today,
Tsantas and Chryssinis the master are asking about you,
-What do they want to know? -If your tas kebab is any good,
Stop eating and come inside, They want to meet you,
Tonight you abandoned me
How did your heart endure it?
Watch your pitch,
Have the endings sound clear,
And in the night
I hear your steps
Slowly fade away
No hissing the "S",
Take deep breaths, Make them your own!
You have a hell of a speaker, Use it up!
I want to hear your own color,
Do not try to sound like anyone else, you bastard,
Come on,
Can I ask you something?
You just did, Shoot!
Is music different that way?
What way?
When you can't see,
Does it feel different?
You appreciate it different,
That goes for everything,
How do you feel it?
I can feel it in everything, maestro,
Sometimes, all through my fingertips,
-Hey, Babis, -Hey, Yiannis,
That was Papaioannou, guys,
You're all that's left
My only shoulder to lean on
Now that you're gone
Where am I
To find some comfort?
Now that you're gone
Where am I
To find some comfort?
Babies,
Chryssinis,
Where did you find this guy? He bleats like a calf,
-I'm sorry, but,,, -Pardon me, young man,
but this is our job,
We found a strong, warm voice,
We haven't brought you an international star,
Just an authentic, folk voice,
Doesn't he sound like Tsaoussakis?
Give him something else to sing, Doesn't have to be ours,
-He'll sing it well, -We believe in him,
His voice has metal and he's handsome too,
Alright, I'll think about it,
I'm not so sure about the moustache though,
Place your finger like that,
I'll leave the song with you, anyway,
That's what record studios are like,
Like in the Army, They'll crush you to see if you make it,
Come on, spit it out,
I'm not into working for him,
You don't have to like the bosses,
You just have to love singing,
He's lucky I didn't headbutt him,
Let's hope he wasn't offended,
Are you angry?
Get over it and look ahead! Ahead!
Kazantzidis Efstathios,
ST, SPYRIDON ORPHANAGE
Sign here, please,
Thank you,
My lil' Stathis!
Where's mom?
She's waiting for us at home,
She's made your favourite food,
Bless you both,
But first, we'll go shopping,
-At the butcher's too, -Are we rich?
-It is a day to celebrate, kid! -Your record?
It's you we celebrate, little Stathis,
Your coming home,
How do you like the song, kiddo?
It's nice,
-And the shoes? -Very nice,
How much did you spend?
You spent it all,
My first record, and you're nagging?
-Will you leave your job now? -Yes, mother,
I can finally sing and get well-paid,
I want to sing, too,
You'll go to school, Didn't we agree you'll be a doctor?
No, I want that,
Don't you touch that, Let me stop it,
It may not be much of a song, but it was written by Kaldaras,
-This is just the beginning, mother, -It's just a side hustle,
Don't you dare leave the factory,
You're not listening,
I've signed a contract,
My record is out, People pay to listen to me sing,
Mother,
Our life is changing,
Come on, tell me, What do you think of my voice?
You are good,
I must give you that,
Don't I sound like a calf?
You sound like Tsaoussakis,
Or better,
Take it,
You'll be keeping it,
Am I to pay too to listen to you sing?
Not ever,
You can listen to me sing anytime you like,
What's that? It smells great!
Steaks,
Your brother's brought them,
Cheers, Stelios,
The point is we pulled strings and got you transferred back to Athens,
So, you'll be here every weekend,
Bless you, maestro,
You're a good man, Yerassimos,
I'll finally bring money back home,,,
Get me one,
What brings you here, handsome?
Only good things,
This is Stelios, This is Miss Grey,
Stelios is one of our own,
Great voice,
How come I don't know you?
Beats me,
We can fix that,
He's made a record with Kaldaras,
"Going for a Swim",
I see,
-I've heard about it, -Clever move,
Papaioannou spotted him and is now writing for him,
"The Suitcases",
That's a great song, It will be a hit,
Make sure it will or,,,
Stelios is it?
Wise up, maestro,
Don't give him high hopes, The kid should not fall flat on his face,
Maestro, you're on,
It's tango time,
Time for women to dance,
Tango, huh?
Sure,
European music first and then I go out,
A tango with bouzouki?
Can you dance?
I'm a quick learner,
Your hand on my waist,
One step forward, two steps back, Follow me,
More slowly,
A bit faster,
Let me guide,
Tomorrow you're coming to my house,
Your house?
For lunch,
Hold your horses, Getting ahead of yourself,
What time? I don't know,,, I sleep until late,
It's okay, We'll be waiting for you,
33, Alaias Street, in Nea Ionia,
Who's "we"?
Myself, my mother,
two aunts, a neighbour,
Us,
Cheers!
Come on!
Are we going to hear your voice today, or what?
High up
Well done, son!
On the mountain I'll go and stay
Far from the world So far away
I'll cry alone
I'll hurt alone
And the mountain will listen
Well done!
Well done,
Stelios!
You too, girl, what a lovely voice!
Goodness, well done to you both!
Thank you all,
Can I use the loo?
-I'll find it, -In the hallway, on your left,
Over there,
Stelios, come on, Your mother will see us,
Mother liked you,
Don’t, Take it easy, Cool down now,
This isn't the place,,,
Who do you take me for?
Α hell of a woman,
My hell of a woman,
You don't say,,, You'll wife me up,
You’re too young,
Still serving in the Army, still living with your mum,
Don’t,
Don't turn me on,
Stelios! You mustn't be late again,
Way ahead of yourself,
Bringing you back from the border was hell,
You can't end up there again,
-Good afternoon! -Welcome,
Thank you,
Mr, Costas!
-Fry them up and pass them around, -Done,
Isn’t it kind of early for treats?
You have two more months left in the Army,
I’m going to be a father,
What do you mean you’re going to be a father?
Kaiti is pregnant, Zissis,
You didn't waste any time!
A father! You put the rest of us to shame,
See, you needn't have worried,
Here's to the baby then!
-And to us, the godfathers! -To my best men,
Does that mean,,,
you’ll marry her?
Sure,
You wanted the baby, didn’t you?
I wanted a family, children,
A proper home,
So, you got a diva in her prime,
placed her in the kitchen with your mum, and thought,,,
"I’ll start a family with her"?
I’m a singer, Who would I marry?
A teacher?
If she wanted that too, what went wrong?
You’re pushing it, kid,
You waited in the sun for hours to ask such questions?
I thought you wanted us to talk about singing,
And singers too,
You’re funny, How old are you, again?
Twenty-nine,
That kid would be twenty by now,
If it had been born,
Well, it wasn’t,
Enough about that,
What did Mrs, Yesthimani think about Kaiti?
She turned a blind eye, Kaiti helped me with the army leaves and gigs,
But she didn’t want her to be my wife,
What if Kaiti was telling the truth?
I hope you can swim!
You are a real pain, you know,
I’m trying to figure you out,
You figure me out?
When she said she’d lost the baby, I hit the road,
When under pressure, I would always take the highway,
I went to Thessaloniki to clear my head,
To get away,
I love you , darling Come back to me
Don't quit me Or I'll lose my mind
I forgive you Come back again
A little nightingale,
She's got soul,
If you hear her sing Vembo, she'll blow you away,
Can't bear to see you, man Hanging out with other women
That's her father,
He's here every night, On guard duty,
Mind you, I might even kill you
Stop torturing me, will you?
Narrow!
Do you know who this gentleman is?
The face rings a bell,
But I can’t tell,
You sing one of his songs,
What a fool I am!
But of course! It's an honour,
I'm Kitsa,
Hello, Kitsa,
-Which song of mine do you sing? -Used to sing,
“Bitter Bread”, but not anymore,
Bitterness doesn't suit me, Nor do I suit it,
Is that so?
Don’t get me wrong,
I love your songs,
But too much sorrow,
What's singing without sorrow?
Let’s go,
I’m off to entertain you now,
I'll sing one of your songs,
What are you doing here?
-Is that why you are here? -Are you the boss of me?
Who told you I am here? Speak!
Why so tense?
You disappeared, and I got worried,
I can’t do without you,
Move!
-Move it! -Watch it,
My heels! I'll break a leg,
You're taking a wrong turn, Kaiti,
I told you I need to clear my head, but you’re all over me!
I hurt as much as you do, even more so,
I carried it inside me for four months,
Then, let's have the doctor confirm that,
Piss off, Stelios, Can't you believe me?
That's exactly what I'm doing, I'm pissing off,
I got a job here,
I want you packed and gone by the time I get back home,
Stelios, I did all the medical tests,
The doctor said we can have another baby,
Ask your mother, I swear, I lost the baby,
Stop it!
As soon as I get pregnant, I’ll stop working, I promise,
Tie me up on the bed for nine months, if you like, Please!
Please!
Don’t give up on us that easily,
Not now,
Now the worst is over,
I spoke with "Columbia Records",
Manolis Chiotis wants us,
As a duet,
He's got a good song, they said,
A great song!
Do you know what this means?
We'll be at the top of the wish list,
It's far too damp here up north,
You'll get stiff,
Tomorrow is the day we part
It's time to say goodbye
Tonight it ends
Our love is doomed
Kiss me tonight
To fill your heart
At dawn I leave
We'll be apart
Mr, Manolis, we did well, didn't we?
You aced it, The song is complete with your voice,
With more eyes on you now, Stelios, watch your looks,
You are not just a voice, You're the whole package,
People have high expectations of their icons,
I am not there yet, teach,
All in good time,
Watch out for your shoes as well,
Always nice and polished,
Got it about the clothes, What about my tone?
-Did my voice match Kaiti? -Absolutely!
Once he went down two notches, his true voice came out!
We've found Kazantzidis, boy!
And with your singing, Kaiti dear,,,
it will go down in history!
Come here!
Finds comfort no more
I viewed some houses in the afternoon,
There is a nice three-bedroom flat, in Gyzikou Street,
When could we go and see it?
Don't start with this again,
Why, Stelios?
Isn’t it about time?
Have a home of our own, start a family,
Isn't that what you want?
We have a home,
As far as I know, you have a family somewhere,
What do you want from me?
Why are you rubbing salt in the wound?
Stelios,
You’re my whole life,
The doctor said I need some peace of mind,
How is it possible with your mother stepping on my toes?
You work all night but blame my mother for your peace of mind,
Bite me, Kaiti,
At first, it was about the money,
Now we both make a ton of money, so no more excuses,
Come on, honey, It’s time,
Let’s build a life together,
My life is here,
If yours is in three-bedroom flats,,,
My wounded heart
Finds comfort no more
Beautiful, right?
Hey, brother!
Easy, Stathis!
You’ll bring the house down, you goon!
Let him be, mother!
We're celebrating, My new record is selling out again,
Let’s hope so,
Since there's no cure
There's only pain
It's better death
Arrives ahead
My aching broken heart
What is with the racket?
Welcome,
Have a drink with us,
For my record that's doing great, It's selling out,
I don’t want to drink, I'm working tonight,
Oh, come now, Kaiti!
Labropoulos wants me to sign for three more records,
He calls me "Big Stelios",
Good, I’m very happy for you, Big Stelios,
But I need to lie down, I have a headache,
Stathis, will you turn it down?
What’s wrong?
I told you, I have a headache, I need to lie down,
-Are you sure? -I'm sure,
What's wrong? Speak up,
What’s wrong?
I do everything in my power to make you happy,
And what do I get?
Did we move to our own place? No,
Did we get married? No,
You're always putting everything off,
And I have brought all this on myself, That's what's wrong,
Your plan didn’t work out, did it?
My plan! Seriously?
I've done my best for you, for us as a couple, but you march on your own,
Just because I'm happy for my record?
You've been pressuring me to work hard all the while,
-You don’t know what you want, -Is everything alright in there?
Can you hear that?
We can’t even sneeze without her eavesdropping!
What the hell’s got into you? I thought you two got along!
-We do, as long as I keep my mouth shut, -Shut up!
You have no regard for anything, do you? Anything!
Why? Do you?
Where are your children, Kaiti?
I am not with my children to be here with you!
You’d dumped them at your mother’s long before you met me,
Let me remind you, we are in the same line of work,
If you don't like that nor my house or my mother,
you can piss off!
Very well,
Don’t you dare come back on your knees!
You stay right here!
Stay here and sleep with mommy dearest,
I’ll send someone to pick up my stuff,
Oh, how I long to return to you
And leave my last breath By the White Tower
Thessaloniki, I'll never turn you away
You are my homeland, yes, I'll say
Thessaloniki, I'll never turn you away
Welcome!
Back in town?
Can you sit for a minute?
You sing well, kid,
-Can you do backing vocals, too? -I can,
And how many songs do you know?
I know 58 songs by heart,
Get out of here!
Don’t tell me you can fish, too,
Of course I can!
Since I was a little girl,
It's true, She can fish,
I don’t tell lies,
I am your first love
I loved you then And love you still
Together through our starting life
Through the first heartbeats
The two of us lived
We stayed up all night
I am your first love
I loved you then And love you still
I get chills when you do this,
What are you doing here?
Are you out of your mind?
I heard about your shows, so I'm here to admire you,
Some face for an idol!
-You look like a slug now, -Cut it out, Kaiti,
What about the hick? How did you snatch her up?
You placed the pet centre stage in no time,
You won't find anyone like me, Not one,
I've got ship-owners courting me,
and I can't get mama’s boy out of my head!
And you, don't gloat,
He’ll dump you the minute his mommy tells him to,
Why?
Didn’t I give you everything, you bastard?
Everything!
-Ready? -Yes!
What?
The surprise I was telling you about,
I know it’s no palace,
Let me show it to you,
Look at the view,
I’m bargaining for a boat too, so we can go fishing again,
What do you think?
It’s peaceful,
Exactly, just us and the sea,
We’ll be coming here, Kitsa, to relax,
Away from everyone and everything,
Get the tsipouro,
-Where? -Down there,
Two things I wanted in a woman,
Enjoying fishing
and getting along with mother,
Being a singer too,
-That's three, -That was back then,
Yes, three things back then,
Does she,,,
get on with Yesthimani?
She is,,,
on a different league,
Pure gold,
Marinella was not, you mean?
Narrow?
She was gold in fishing,
I didn’t have this place at the time,
But as soon as I'd met her,
the idea stuck in my head,
Can't get my head around it,
What sort of criterion is this?
You fell for her because she could fish?
Reveals a lot,
If you are patient, persistent,
and respectful of nature,
you can be in life as well,
Everything seemed possible with Kitsa,
I called her "Pantsy",
And her voice, a gem,
Two out of three, check,
Something is biting,
A sea bass!
She loved you dearly, didn't she?
Did she love Stelios or Kazantzidis?
Aren't they one and the same?
Of course not,
One hundred songs in one year,
One hundred!
You’ve drained me,
Popular songs, modern songs,
heavy songs, upbeat songs, eastern-style,
Also, you burden my good songwriters with the newbies,
Only the best write songs for you, The best for the best!
I want a percentage of my sales,
That blood sucking must end,
Many musicians are starving, while you,,,
You've made plenty of money with us, Stelios,
More than anyone in your line of work,
And for a good reason too, You deserve it,
You want more? We'll give you more,
Just change your tune about the rest of them,
When I struggled just for a meal, I was content,
But now, I feel like I'm stupid,
We get the scraps, while you make millions,
I don't expect to make as much as you do, But artists deserve a fair share,
A deal is a deal,
Nevertheless, here you are,
Fill in any amount you wish, and I will sign it off at once,
I do not want any hard feelings,
I don't want an amount, Mr, Takis, I want a percentage!
Not just for Kazantzidis!
Nowhere in the world do artists get such bad deals,
How come you know so much about it, Stelios?
You think we're clueless?
We tour, we go to places, What do you think?
We can't see how things work? We don't ask around?
In any event, not everyone has the same merit, son,
And that works for you,
You are one of a kind,
Take my advice, Accept my offer,
You don't get it, do you?
Don't go against us, Stelios, you'll lose,
You have signed!
I un-sign then,
He said "you've signed, and we’re square with you",
I said "Yes, I signed, but I didn’t know any better",
"You get loaded and I get the scraps",
"How is that fair?"
"It's no use discussing this" he said, "A contract is a contract",
Here! It is clearly stated,
“The contractor is to be paid the agreed upon flat fee",
That's it and you can't get more,
I don't care about breaking the deal with "Columbia",
We could go to "Minos",
Matsas seems to be serious, smart, He’ll know what’s best for him,
Let's go to him,
I'll have a percentage cut for me and the musicians,
You'll see,
I won’t be taken for a fool,
That’s what pisses me off!
I’ll take them to court,
Calm down, darling, Enough with the court,
You may harm your health,
Let's focus on the good things, We'll be in the movies,
Hatzidakis and Theodorakis write songs for you,
That's a first for a popular singer,
And what do I get? They bleed me dry,
Companies act in their best interests, as you do too,
So, you do too, don't you?
Worried you might be cast out with me?
Now that you got in? Is that why you take their side?
What was that?
You heard me,
What was that!
Narrow!
-Kitsa! Where are you going? -Leave me alone, I won't take this,
I am sorry,
Sorry?
You say whatever comes to your head and then you’re sorry?
Don’t leave me again,
Don’t push me away then,
You know what I want, Kitsa,
To go fishing!
To the sea, your peace and quiet!
And what else?
What else?
That you have my baby,
I will!
Swear on the pants you're wearing?
I do,
One step at a time, though, Yes?
Everything is but a lie
A breath, a fleeting sigh
Just like a flower, one dawn
Some hand will pick us off
We’ve closed the deal,
They’re thrilled, They added Frankfurt, as well,
Three cities in Germany and one in Belgium,
The biggest tour ever!
-Aren’t you happy? -Now,
It was windy today, so,,,
Stelios,
I’m telling you something important for us, and you reply about fish?
Are you toying with me? You've asked for the tour,
You said you wanted to sing for the immigrants, the real Greeks,
Great, We agree on the money, then they start the monkey business,
We're in the hands of middlemen now, agents,
Will they tell us how to sing too?
Can't you ever feel happy?
I'm giving you good news, and yet you're whining,
And get a new table, for God's sake,
We make all this money, and you live like you're destitute,
Nice tables don’t make you a decent person, kid,
Mother,
Mother!
I'm home,
Welcome!
Careful, you'll get me crippled,
Put this away,
So much dough does not feel right,
Just as well your father isn’t around,
What's so wrong about it, mother?
"My Grief is Like a Rock" sold a hundred thousand copies,
Just think there are only thirty thousand record players in Greece,
People love your son,
Where are you going, all dolled-up?
Elisso and I are dropping by Kaldaras and Klouvatos,
He says he's got some good verses for you,
Stay out of this, mother,
-He's helped us out many times,,, -Stay out of it,
Listen up now,
Sit down,
I've brought over someone for you to meet,
-In a dress? -Yes,
-Aren’t you happy for me? -Let’s not go over this again,
No, let’s do so,
Will you be bringing me one night crawler after another?
Are you serious, mother? We’ve been living together for so long,
Do as you wish,
You’re a grown man,
Just leave me out of it,
Don't involve me with who you bring in and out of your house,
How far will you take this?
Narrow,
Hello,
So nice to meet you,
At long last,
Stelios talks about you all the time,
I'm his mother,
Narrow?
Narrow,
That’s pretty much the tune,
Why do you need to try me out? You're not sure I can sing?
I wrote it for your voice,
Let's meet up one day for you to try out, Just the two of us,
Really?
Did you fall asleep in the cabin?
Why the long face, baby?
I just proposed a rehearsal to the boss's lady,
-A rehearsal, huh? -Tell him, Miss Marinella,
You’ll have plenty of time to rehearse when we're back in Athens,
I meant no wrong, Stelios,
-Move it, -Nothing happened,
Move it,
We were just joking, Nothing happened,
Get in, I want a word with you,
-It was nonsense, chatter,,, -Stop it,
Enough with your babbling,
We are meant to be together, Don’t you forget that,
We are alike,
Anything but alike, but that's not the point,
I’ve been meaning to tell you, We can’t go on like this,
Stelios, please,
-As soon as the tour is over,,, -Stelios!
As I said, after Germany,
when we get to Athens,
I will marry you,
But we’ll start a family, right?
Why do you play tricks on me?
All the sorrow I've endured
Not a laugh within a day
Only tears pour down my face
So I made a decision
To move to the hell
They call the foreign land
Bitter as poison
The passport in my hand
But once you live without hope
Any land can be a home
WELCOME STELIOS
We toured,
We've been to places,
It was really special,
You could feel the song touching people deeply,
Touched by every single word,
Whatever I'd give them, I'd get back in return,
Especially in Germany and Belgium,
They would come out of the mines covered in coal,
put on a clean shirt, and come get a whiff of Greece,
Their grief was deep,,,
Any friends from work?
Friends?
This job needs a strong stomach, I didn’t have it,
I got sick,
Had to get surgery,
Had it not been for Yiannis Papaioannou,
who sold everything to buy blood for me, I’d be gone,
He is a friend, yes,
I owe him,
My career and my life too,
He’s just a kid, man,
Has Papaioannou ever been wrong, Heilas?
Will he make it through the night?
The boy is a star,
How old are you, kiddo?
Seventeen, but not before this summer,
I write songs, too,
You do, huh?
Play one of yours, then,
I haven't got lyrics for it yet,
Don’t fret, We'll get you lyrics,
Don’t you dare give it to Bithikotsis,
I'll sing this,
It's a deal, right?
What’s your name?
Christos Nikolopoulos,
Nikolopoulos,
Are you from the Peloponnese?
-No, from Kapsochori, Imathia region, -That’s better,
Will your mother let you come to Germany on a tour?
It's my father's say, He’ll let me do it,
We’ll get in trouble,
Off to Kapsochori,
To ask for his father's blessing,
Mother?
Won’t you give me your blessing?
You have my blessing, Can I do otherwise?
Kitsa loves and supports me,
And most importantly, I love her, too,
She’s got many a strength,
but she's got all puffed up,
Mother, I know what I’m doing,
There is love here,
You may even see a grandchild,
My sweetheart,
You are my prince,
I want you to be happy,
But that woman,,,
She's not the family type, I wish I am wrong,
She is my wife,
If you love me, you’ll love her, too,
If you can’t love her,
make sure I don't know of it,
Are we clear?
So, that's over and done,
Finally, just the two of us,
Away from everyone and everything,
Don't bet on it,
Everyone will recognise us, and you’ll be grumpy all the time,
Is there a place we won't be recognised?
That’s why I suggested the Bahamas,
The Bahamas, Kitsa?
What were you thinking?
There is no place like home,
-Guys? -What?
It’s Stelios!
-Stelios who? -Stelios! Stelios and Marinella!
-Big Stelios, hey, brother! -Hello, Mrs, Marinella,
How come you’re here?
On your honeymoon?
-Will you sign an autograph for my wife? -Man, no one will believe this!
Give them a hand, guys, Help them out,
No need to, guys,
I'll take that, Mrs, Marinella,
Thank you very much,
Our best wishes, Mrs, Marinella,
-Thank you, -Big Stelios,
Will you be here for long?
We'll be around for a while,
Great, Come to our tavern, Have some wine on us,
Bless you, brother, but we’re on our honeymoon, You understand,
I understand, Big Stelios, I do,
My best wishes again,
Bye, Mrs, Marinella!
Bye!
Whoever you are
Whatever you may be
Keep me some company tonight
I am not asking for your love
Just some comfort is what I need
If my fate is broken and torn
It's not the world's fault
Everything I love
Dies out
And back to the start again
What’s this arm foolishness?
Now my arms bother you?
Do you know what it’s like to always be in the shadow?
Don't I?
I was born in it,
You are my wife now, by my side,
Everybody knows who you are,
Acting like a traffic warden won't get you noticed!
Nobody wants to hear me sing on my own,
I want to have a go, too, Is that so bad?
I’m not worthless,,,
Come on, stop it,
We’ve been over this,
Yes, but nothing's changed,
You break my heart when you cry,
In my contract with Matsas, you and I will be under equal terms,
You’ll be a top name, Because you deserve it,
If he resists, I won’t sign either,
Just try not to rile me up,
You know me,
I love you,
Me too,
You were right,
We are meant to be together,
-Cheers, -Cheers,
So?
So, we're thinking of taking different paths for a while,
For a change,
What do you think, big boy?
Change is good, when you have something to fall back on,
I love his way with words and won't change him for the world,
It works for Stelios too,
So people don't say he's stuck with me,
For me as well, To not just be his echo,
Women, big boy!
We'll grow old together, you know,
So,,,
Will you write a few magic verses for her?
The kind only you can write?
We need a chorus for a female singer,
Let's get the tune first,
It's on the guys over there,
Get them one on us too,
-Cheers, -Cheers,
See? Nice people,
They don't bug us, They're respectful,
Fetch the guitar from the car, We'll play something for them,
What's wrong?
I don't know,
I'm afraid you may be taking a wrong turn, boss,
Why?
Kitsa's voice is a gem, She deserves to spread her wings, no?
Sure thing,
But a family and a solo career,
at the same time?
I see your point, but what can I do? I'm a sentimentalist,
A sentimentalist,
I can't help it,
Should we both be sentimentalists?
Wounded,,,
What are you mumbling, poet?
Should we get ourselves in such a mess?
Come on!
Start a tempo,
Come here, guys! Come join us,
"MINOS" - PROGRESS IN SONG
There is no backing vocals like my Pantsy's,
I'd like you to hear her lead vocals as well,
Crystal clear,
That's why you are the top duet, No other like you,
Right, but enough of that, Mr, Matsas,
Time for her to try solo,
Don't tell me you know better,
You lot have no idea,
I was once told I bleat like a calf,
Which is why you came to me,
Look,
You two are dynamite,
Together,
We can't ruin that!
Every woman envies your luck, girl,
What? Coming second?
She is an outspoken one, You're in trouble,
With me, you'll sell to people you can't reach now,
-Excuse me, -What is it?
Mr, Kolokotronis is here, asking for Mr, Stelios,
-Have him wait, -He said it's urgent,
He is signing a contract now,
What's the emergency?
Let's me check,
What brings you here?
Don't sign,
Labropoulos will give you anything you ask for, Land and water,
He'll sign with you, as well,
Plus, percentages for your musicians,
Let's go, Stelios,
We know him,
We had so many hits under his label, Here, it's a leap of faith,
And he's just now thought of it?
Like you say, I wear pants, and I'm going back inside,
Times change,
As soon as I signed with Matsas,
"Columbia" started selling my old records in bulk,
For peanuts, to hurt our sales,
So, you were in and out of court,
With Matsas by my side, and my peers against me,
Can you believe it? I was fighting for their rights,
and they were testifying for Labropoulos,
Not everyone,
When Hatzidakis realised he was to testify against you, he left,
There's only one Hatzidakis,
You kept looking for trouble, though,
You asked for it,
I couldn't tell a friend from a foe,
They'd tell me one thing, then put another down on paper,
We turned regulars in courthouses,
They wanted to drive me mad,
Get me to my wits end and surrender,
Wasn't that your goal too?
Drive them mad,
Take a look around, man,
Realise where you are,
And what you're making me remember,
Marinella's?
Are you still on Marinella?
Has he told you about the Turkish woman yet?
You can speak freely, I know all about it,
You see?
That's what I get for opening my heart,
So, fishing or singing?
Fishing, Hands down,
You bait, you cast and wait,
No singing?
Well, yes,
I sing to the sea,
Especially when she is so calm,
When will you sing for your people again?
I thought so, Took him long enough,
Do you know what Hatzidakis said?
If you get used to the beast, you start to resemble it,
This night is all we have Together you and I
You'll leave me behind Before the morning comes
This night is all we have
My love, I am losing you So it was meant to be
But as long as I live I will wait for you
My love, you will leave So it was meant to be
But as long as I live I will wait for you
Mr, Kolokotronis! We weren't expecting you, The place is packed,
mr, They, I can only seat you back here,
-Never mind, Christos, Come on, let's go, -No, Akis, I want you to see him,
From top to bottom
From plenty to none
Oh, how did I end up this way
From the top of the world
I've gone astray
But there's no one else to blame
For this wreck I have become
It's my head that deserves to break
Cheers, Big Stelios!
If this guy took to the streets,
and sang all the way to Syntagma Square,
he'd gather enough people
to start a revolution and bring down the government itself,
No limit to his potential,
Don't be afraid, Big Stelios,
We're on your side,
We love you, we listen to you, we look after you,
Do you know how many punks resent you for getting all the money?
I'm just a singer,
Talk to the owner,
I am talking to you,
Other night clubs are going under,
It would be a pity if you went under too, wouldn't it?
See what could happen?
That guy lost it and smashed his head with the bottle,
Tomorrow, it could be your head, Be careful,
-We'll take care of you, -That's right,
But you need to give something in return, Don't keep everything to yourself,
Talk to the owners,
Katelanos! What are you doing here?
Get the hell out!
Beat it!
Get the hell out of here!
No!
Stelios, wake up!
It was just a dream,
It's over, darling, It's over,
I can't stand it, My heart will burst pounding,
Calm down, sweetheart,
They'll be the death of me, Kitsa,
I shudder at the thought of going back there tonight,
It comes with the night job, darling,
There is no one like you,
Focus on that, don't torture yourself,
Why did you walk away?
Who can afford that much for liquor?
Only crooks,
What do those champagne-heads know of migrants and poverty?
That's who I am,
No, Stelios,
That's who your father was, who you used to be,
Now, you're number one, The top, the highest-paid,
It's not a bad thing,
You put in blood, sweat and tears,
I don't know who I sing for anymore,
The poor have some money nowadays,
and spend it at night clubs,
If Heilas wants me to sing again, he must drop the prices,
I want to sing for families,
Everybody down! Get down!
On your chairs, Now!
Sit down! Are you deaf or what?
You, start singing,
"Tough Guy in Votanikos",
Play, you morons, What are you waiting for?
Play, you morons!
"Tough Guy in Votanikos",
Hold on, tough guy, You're not in Votanikos,
Get back!
Get him to chirp,
A tough guy down in Votanikos
Moving sharp and fast as he goes
Louder!
Didn't you drink up your milk today?
Were you told you to stop?
Let's go from the top,
A tough guy down in Votanikos
Moving sharp and fast as he goes
In bouzoukia and in cabarets
Downs the bottle Breaks the glasses
Would die over a brunette
But in his stupor he would Settle for a blonde as well
I came here to listen to Kazantzidis' voice!
Where's your voice?
Let's go! Again!
Stop! I said again!
Let's go,
Again,
Again!
Again
and again,
I sang it twenty-two times,
Twenty-two,
My soul rotted that night, my friend,
I was 35 years old and had nothing left to give,
I've been everywhere looking for you,
Then, it hit me you'd be here,
Kitsa, I'm done with working in the night,
I've had enough,
It's what you do, Stelios,
So many people come for you every night,
Your voice belongs to them,
What about myself?
Does anything belong to me?
The world is in your hands,
Is this who I am?
A clown for the pretentious?
-You are Kazantzidis, -No!
I am Stelios, and you are Kitsa,
It's ungrateful to always complain,
Now I'm ungrateful as well?
Let's go to our shack,
Start a family,
You owe me a little fisherman, remember?
If it was meant to be, my love,
it would have happened through all those years,
Our careers consumed us,
I want to go away,
I want to fish,
grow things,
plant things,
What about me?
What will I do?
Wear thick socks and drive a tractor?
You ask too much of me,
I am a singer,
You said you'd never leave me,
My share of joy
Others have taken it from me
For I had clean hands
And a heart that was big
Lord, if there's a second time
For me to live again
As much as my heart longs for it
I shall never love again
Like a ship tossed by the sea
A rock worn down and cold
I came a stranger to this life
And as a stranger I shall leave
Did you regret?
No,
Why regret?
I regret nothing,
I came here and stayed,
But after a few months, I grew restless,
I fought back,
You created “Standard”,
Yes, I did, so?
I believed in it,
My problem wasn't singing,
It was the night I couldn't take,
“Standard” was the only way we'd be working satisfied,
A group of friends, a cut for everyone,
and a label of our own,
Too good to be true, huh?
Here, Your photos will be put up around,
A cut for everyone and everything that comes with it,
No one stepping on our necks,
Fair and square,
Oh, boy! Oh, boy!
What have you gotten yourself into?
The equipment you've bought won’t do,
They have top machinery and you'll compete with a pile of junk?
Junk?
Do you believe the words of Matsas and Labropoulos?
Our equipment is A class, from Italy,
We'll start printing records,
But the fuckers won't sell them,
You think they’ll turn down selling Kazantzidis?
Just because a couple of distributors said so?
The labels put pressure on them to wipe us out,
I'm not buying it,
And you had to pull this off under the Junta?
How was I to know there would be a dictatorship?
You write some good songs,
and they'll run to sell them,
They’re businessmen, aren’t they?
With what lyrics?
"If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands"?
They censor the good stuff,
They find them ambiguous and ban them,
"Good songs" you say?
The market is dead,
Ruined,
What do you suggest I do?
Throw in the towel?
I am on your side, I believe in this,
You jumped the gun, Stelios,
Only Gavalas has signed on, The rest of us have contracts,
Your contracts expire soon,
Have a little patience, They’ll come over to you,
Speak clearly,
Stop beating around the bush,
Are you with me or not?
Stelios,
you know how much I love you,
I've always backed you,
But this is our livelihood,
You can see the picture,
It won't work,
Big boy?
Stelios, you're home?
She didn't lose any sleep over it,
She moved on just fine,
Don't give me that now, mother,
So many plays and movies,
She's making a career on your name!
Well, not on my name,
She deserves it,
What’s eating you then?
They've sent the taxmen to turn my accounts inside out,
They're asking for eight million,
How much?
Eight,
How are we to come up with so much?
I'll ask for Father Yorgi's blessing,
What good will that do?
I’ll find a way out myself, As I always do,
Just like your father,
Always struggling and getting into trouble for other people,
Where are they now, huh?
Where are they?
And you, enough with the damn thing! You've done our heads in,
I told you to pick up a trade, You wouldn't hear of it,
Those women ruined you,
You, a Kazantzidis, wrapped around their finger,
-Look at you now, -Stop it!
Stop it!
I cannot have a family,
Deal with it,
You've worn me down,
What’s the big deal?
Are you serious?
I’ll lose face in the industry,
I'll go back, tail between my legs,
I’ll be singing to their beat,
That’s the big deal,
It's on the guys there,
-Cheers, Big Stelios, -Cheers!
What a burden, being Kazantzidis,
Why the sarcasm, Elias?
They’ll pay you a fortune to sing, You’ll be out of debt before you know it,
You just won’t be the one anymore,
Do you know why he’s so quiet?
He was laid off,
-What? -He's been looking for work for six months,
Drop it, Elias, It's Stelios we're talking about,
I won't drop it, Zissis,
He has two little girls at home,
Why didn’t you say a thing?
Let's talk about that too, Stelios,
Why didn’t you tell me?
I called you three times,
You'd call me back,
Fine, How can I help now?
We are a team, You know that,
Don’t worry, I’m good now, Elias helped me out,
And I do some night shifts as a guard,
On Tuesday, I'm in for some cash,
-I’ll come by your place,,, -Drop it, Stelios,
Let’s face it,
We are in different places,
We've got nothing in common anymore,
Why hide behind our little finger?
You’re being unfair, Elias,
Speak up, Zissis,
What do you think?
You're a hard man to find these days, man,
That's the thing,
Since Mr, Makis is willing,
and so are we,
let’s get on with this, right?
What about my equipment?
We'll buy that out too, I’ve included it in the price,
At cost level,
And we'll keep "Standard" to release new artists,
Like we said, we'll keep it,
Let Mr, Matsas tell us about your new collaboration,
We will release one hundred songs,
I won't give you a time frame, Whenever you feel like,
One record per season? Ten? Your call,
As many as you can or wish,
I'll have a say in the music and the lyrics,
We want you to be happy, so that we can be, too,
And no more nightclubs, I’m done with the night,
Only records, Fair and square,
That’s the spirit,
But,,,
no more surprises, right?
Great, Then sign, and let's wrap things up,
Alright,
Tomorrow, I’ll go out on my boat,
and see what the fish think,
I need a few days,
Don’t feel sorry for me
Send me away tonight
Just like a wildflower
Cut off my stem
I set off bare
I walk alone
The road is my home
And pain is my song
Send me away and don't feel sorry
Fear not on my behalf
Even in snow or in rain,,,
This must be it,
Do you think he's here? Big Stelios?
Can Kazantzidis be alive? in such a dump?
That's his Mercedes, He must be here,
We'll wait for him in the yard,
Where are you, man?
Cut it out! What will he think of us?
Stelios?
Big Stelios!
Look at the ashtray! He's here!
Open the door, Big Stelios, We've come a long way to see you,
I love you, dammit! I love you!
I feel you deep in my soul, Where are you?
My foggy mind
Has betrayed me long ago
"Here" I say and there it goes
It makes me mutter on my own
It makes me mutter on my own,,,
Of my foggy mind
I sing the nightmares,
And if I've hurt you up till now,
my crazy passion is to blame,
Of my foggy mind
I sing the nightmares
And if I've hurt you up till now
My crazy passion is to blame
Of my foggy mind
Eye, for me,
You’re a treasure,
I told you, didn't I?
Only you,
Only your voice can carry it through,
Bless you, man, You've soothed my heart,
Where have you been all these years?
You, a hermit in the countryside,
Me, here, lost in my own world,
How can you stay in the middle of nowhere for so long?
Don’t you miss the nightlife?
The women?
The people?
All the frenzy you used to cause,
Now,
I don’t miss a thing,
I bring to memory all the past feasts and tours, and I'm content,
I’d rather never see the rest of them again,
They sucked me dry for nothing,
For nothing?
That's not true,
You've got the guts to spit in their face and do your own thing,
That’s not nothing,
Akis and I made six great songs together, Right?
My whole life
"My Whole Life" is really for me, about my life,
A great poet!
Great hits, too,
That’s how I paid off my debts,
But then,,,
I wanted to burn my bridges and never sing again,
Ever,
What about "I Exist"?
-Your swan song? -Swan song,
I just wished to sing one last song and disappear,
But even in America you didn't find peace,
You came back in five years,
The sea is too rough there,
The Atlantic is no joke, It can swallow you whole,
No sea like here, the calmness of it,
So you may sing again,
Who are you punishing?
The record companies?
The public?
Or yourself?
I’m not a jukebox, brother,
I don't owe anyone,
The people?
Who adore you?
Such a divine gift, and you're wasting it,
What do I tell him now, Vasso?
I grew up
in a poor Lamia neighbourhood,
Everybody listened to nothing but Kazantzidis,
I stood still and listened to him,
There was a girl with a limp who was given a record player,
Every weekend, she would open the window
and played his songs,
Everyone in Greece loved Kazantzidis, so did I,
But after I met you,
I loved Stelios,
I am the lucky one,
I'll bring some ice,
Looks like you found your harbour in the end,
Don’t look at me,
He picked me up from the nightclub,
I want it to be about me,
About my connection with the people,
The ordinary people who love me and I love back,
Something like, "can’t be with you, can’t live without you",
A connection that will exist as long as my voice is heard,
Even if they are here, and I am elsewhere,
As if speaking about a love,
which, no matter what follows,
never goes away,
That's it,
I also want to speak at the beginning of the record, in an intro,
Share what’s in my heart,
Get it all out,
I want to speak as Stelios,
As long as you sing like Kazantzidis,
For once, they'll exist together,
Stelios and Kazantzidis,
I want it televised,
A nation-wide broadcast,
Address to the Nation?
Call it what you like,
I want people to know everything,
And also know why I’m leaving,
Take it back from the top,
I exist,
And as long as you exist
So will I,
I exist
And as long as you exist So will I
Your life I will own,
Your life I will own
No, start with "I will own" instead,
I will own your life
That's better,
Even if we walk on empty paths,
Even if we walk on
Separate paths,
Separate paths
I exist
And as long as you exist So will I
I will own your life
Even if we walk on separate paths
I exist
-In your eyes,,, -No, stop,
Stelios, we said just the first bridge,
Why did we say that again?
That’s the recording method today,
Part by part, and then we put them together,
For a better end product,
Let’s move on,
In your eyes when they cry,
On your lips when they burn,
That’s it,
Let's take it back from the top,
Give it some fire, Stelios,
Back from the top again,
Just the first bridge,
I can’t do it like that, guys,
Technology may be good,
but a feeling on demand?
Christos, get in here,
I exist
And as long as you exist So will I
I will own your life
Even if we walk on
Separate paths
I exist
In your eyes when they cry
On your lips when they burn
I'll exist in the songs You listen to
I am the one in your life
No one can erase me
When you talk to the rest
And at times you may laugh
Deep down, you will ache
Because you're thinking of me
I am
The beginning and the end
Keep it well in mind that
Should you find someone else Before too long
You will leave because
I will exist
I exist
In your joy and your sorrow
My image will not leave you
And I will never be forgotten
I exist
In the bad luck that you curse
In the mind that you torment
With smoke, memories and booze
"A man like Kazantzidis appears once in a hundred years", Manos Hatzidakis
"Kazantzidis is not a man,
He is the God of Singing" Flery Dandonaki
"All the singers combined
don't add up to half a Kazantzidis", Akis Panou
"Had he been in America,
his career would have been greater than mine", Frank Sinatra
"The crack of his voice, so woefully mellow,
carried the pride and greatness
of the simple, true and ever-betrayed people", Mikis Theodorakis
Years later, Stelios returned to the record industry,
but never performed at nightclubs again,
Until the end of his life, in 2001, he lived with Vasso by the sea,,,