NOVEMBER 11TH:
On this day in 1990, Alexis Minotis, the distinguished Greek actor and director, renowned for his contributions to theater and film, passed away. Born Alexandros Minotakis in Chania, Crete, he began his acting career in the 1920s, collaborating with prominent Greek theater companies. Minotis gained international recognition for his performances in ancient Greek tragedies, both as an actor and director. He appeared in notable films, including Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Notorious’ (1946) and ‘Land of the Pharaohs’ (1955). Married to actress Katina Paxinou, Minotis was instrumental in founding the National Theatre of Greece and significantly influenced the revival of classical Greek drama.
NOVEMBER 12TH:
On this day in 1953, Vasilis Karras, the beloved Greek singer and songwriter known for his contributions to ‘laïkó’ music, was born in Kokkinochori, Kavala. He rose to fame in the 1980s with his distinctive, raspy voice and emotional depth. His songs, often themed around love and nostalgia, remain popular in Greece and the Greek diaspora.
Also on this day in 1905, Solon Michaelides, the distinguished Cypriot composer, conductor, and musicologist, was born in Nicosia. Michaelides pursued music studies in London and Paris, learning from notable instructors such as Nadia Boulanger and Guy de Lioncourt. He made significant contributions to Cypriot and Greek music, founding the Limassol Conservatory in 1934 and later directing the State Conservatory of Thessaloniki. His compositions often drew inspiration from Greek and Cypriot folk traditions, and he authored several influential works, including The Music of Ancient Greece: An Encyclopaedia.
NOVEMBER 14TH:
On this day in 1954, Yiannis Chryssomallis, known professionally as Yanni, the Greek New-Age musician, was born in Kalamata. Yanni displayed musical talent at a young age. His parents encouraged him to learn at his own pace and own way – without formal music training. The self-taught musician continues to use the ‘musical shorthand’ that he developed as a child, rather than employ traditional musical notation. Yanni has received international recognition by producing concerts at historic monuments and by producing videos that have been broadcast on public television. His breakthrough concert, ‘Live at the Acropolis’, yielded the second best-selling music concert video of all time. Additional historic sites for Yanni’s concerts have included India’s Taj Mahal, China’s Forbidden City, the United Arab Emirates’ Burj Khalifa, Russia’s Kremlin, Lebanon’s ancient city of Byblos, as well as the Egyptian Pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza.
NOVEMBER 15TH:
On this day in 1983, the so-called ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ was unilaterally and illegally proclaimed, comprising the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. Recognized only by Turkey, what Ankara calls ‘Northern Cyprus’ is considered by the rest of the world to be part of the Republic of Cyprus. A Greek-Cypriot military coup d’etat in 1974 backed by the Greek military junta and the Cypriot National Guard, performed as part of an attempt to annex the island to Greece, provided Turkey an excuse for the illegal invasion of Cyprus. This resulted in the eviction of most of the north’s Greek-Cypriot population, the flight of Turkish Cypriots from the south, and the division of the island. In 1975, the ‘Turkish
Federated State of Cyprus’ was declared, supposedly as a first step towards a future federated Cypriot state – but it was rejected by the Republic of Cyprus and the United Nations.
