Alkinoos Ioannidis is a popular Greek Cypriot composer, singer and songwriter. He grew up in Cyprus but lives for many years in Greece.
Several Omilo students have been lucky to have seen him performing and singing in Athens, during their intensive Greek courses in Athens.
About Alkinoos Ioannidis
He was born in 1969 in Nicosia, Cyprus, and moved to Athens in 1989, where he studied theatre at the National Theatre Drama School and philosophy at the University of Athens. In 1993 he signed with the Greek branch of the record label Universal Music.
Ioannidis has been a very prolific artist: he has released eleven albums as a solo artist and has participated as a guest singer to more than 40 albums by several Greek artists. On top of this, he often writes songs and produces music for other artists or writes the soundtrack for theatre and dance performances. Even though most of his music as a solo artist has lyrics, he has also written symphonic music which is often performed by orchestras both abroad and in Greece.
In the last twenty years, he has given more than 1700 concerts in Greece and Cyprus and 100 concerts abroad.
Alkinoos Ioannidis often writes lyrics about contemporary social issues. For example, in March 2012, his 12th solo album, Local Stranger, was released which examines the “political and economic whirlwind” that hit Greece during the financial crisis.
In 2014 Alkinoos Ioannidis released the album Μικρή Βαλίτσα (en. small suitcase), which was dedicated to people who have been forced to flee their homeland and to those who feel their homeland has deserted them, as well as to all the hardships that refugees face.
His music does not belong to a single music genre; instead, it combines elements from Greek and Cypriot folk music, byzantine, classical and rock music.
Some Lyrics and songs
a. The song Θα ‘μαι κοντά σου (όταν με θες),
I’ll be next to you (when you need me).
Below you can find both the Greek lyrics and the translation in English
You can listen to the artist singing the song live on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybBE3Z1HNyc
| Ξύπνησα μες τον ύπνο μου
κι άκουσα δυο φωνές. Η μια μου είπε ξέχνα την κι πάψε πια να κλαις. Μα η άλλη ήταν η δική σου μες απ’ του ύπνου του εφιάλτη τις γραμμές. Μου λεγε αγάπη μου κοιμήσου Θα ‘μαι κοντά σου όταν με θες
Τα χρόνια είναι αμέτρητα μα είν’ η ζωή μικρή. Συνήθισα να σ’ αγαπώ συνήθισες κι εσύ. Μα είναι τα χρόνια ένα δοχείο ένα φθηνό ξενοδοχείο για δυο στιγμές.
Για να χωράει κάπου ο πόνος τις νύχτες όταν μένω μόνος. Τις σιωπές μου να μετράω να σε θυμάμαι όταν πονάω να μου λες Θα ‘μαι κοντά σου όταν με θες
Το παραμύθι τέλειωσε κι αρχίζει η ζωή. Αχ να ταν η αλήθεια σου σαν ψέμα αληθινή. Τι να την κάνω τη ζωή μου στο παραμύθι θα τη ρίξω να πνιγεί. Να παραμυθιαστεί η ψυχή μου, να σε πιστέψει πάλι από την αρχή. Να σε πιστεύει όταν μ’ αγγίζεις, τις νύχτες όταν ψιθυρίζεις όταν λες Θα ‘μαι κοντά σου όταν με θες
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I woke from my sleep
and heard two voices One said to me forget her and stop crying anymore But the other [voice] was yours Coming through the nightmare in my sleep. [Your voice] was saying to me sleep, my love I will be next to you when you need me.
The years are countless but life is short. I got used loving you [and] you got used too. But years are a jar, a cheap hotel for a couple moments.
So that the pain can fit somewhere During the nights when I’m left alone. To count my silences to remember you saying when I hurt I will be next to you when you need me.
The fairy-tale has ended and life begins Oh, if only your truth was True like a lie. What should I do with my life I will drown it in fairy tales To delude my soul [so that it] believes you again. [so that it] believes you when you touch me, In the nights when you whisper and you say I will be next to you when you need me. |
b. The song Ο Προσκυνητής ( the pilgrim).
Below you can find both the Greek lyrics and the translation in English .You can listen to Alkinoos singing the song live in Athens, when we visited his concert with Omilo students.
| Τα βουνά περνάω και τις θάλασσες περνώ Κάποιον αγαπάω Δυο ευχές κρατάω και δυο τάματα κρατώ Περπατώ και πάωΚάποιος είπε πως η αγάπη σ’ ένα αστέρι κατοικεί Αύριο βράδυ θα ‘μαι εκεί Κάποιος είπε πως ο έρωτας για μια στιγμή κρατά Αύριο βράδυ θα ‘ναι αργάΣτα πουλιά μιλάω και στα δέντρα τραγουδώ Κάποιον αγαπάω Κι όταν τραγουδάω προσευχές παραμιλώ Περπατώ και πάω Κάποιος είπε πως ο δρόμος είναι η φλέβα της φωτιάς
Κάποιος είπε πως η αγάπη σ’ ένα αστέρι κατοικεί
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I walk over the mountains and I go over seas.
I love somebody. I have two wishes and I hold two offerings I walk and I go.
Somebody said that love lives on a star. I´ll be there by tomorrow night. Somebody said that love lasts for only one minute Tomorrow night it´ll be too late.
I talk to the birds and I sing to the trees. I love somebody. And while I´m singing I mumble prayers. I walk and I go
Somebody said that the road is the vein of fire Keep rolling always, my soul. Somebody said that we travel only by praying Be alive, my heart.
Somebody said that love lives on a star. I´ll be there tomorrow night. Somebody said that love lasts only for a minute. Tomorrow night it´ll be too late.
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Note;
In Greek there are two words used for love which are both present in the lyrics above:
έρωτας (erotas), which stands for romantic, sexual love,
and αγάπη (agape), i.e. the type of love that can be felt between a parent and a child, two friends, as well as between spouses.
3. Another popular song ; “Oνειρο Ήταν” (It was a dream)
you can read the lyrics below. You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmFLRVlUo10
| Ο ουρανός ανάβει τα φώτα
τίποτα πια δε θα `ναι όπως πρώτα Ξημέρωσε πάλι
Ξυπνάω στο φως, τα μάτια ανοίγω για λίγο νεκρός, χαμένος για λίγο Ξημέρωσε πάλι
Κι έχεις χαθεί μαζί με τον ύπνο, μαζί με του ονείρου τον πολύχρωμο κύκνο Μην ξημερώνεις ουρανέ
Άδεια η ψυχή μου, το δωμάτιο άδειο κι από τo όνειρό μου ακούω καθάριο το λυγμό της να λέει όνειρο ήτανε, όνειρο ήτανε
Θα ξαναρθείς μόλις νυχτώσει και τ’ όνειρο πάλι την αλήθεια θα σώσει Θα `μαι κοντά σου
Μόνο εκεί σε βλέπω καλή μου, εκεί ζυγώνεις κι ακουμπάς την ψυχή μου με τα φτερά σου
Μα το πρωί χάνεσαι φεύγεις, ανοίγω τα μάτια κι αμέσως πεθαίνεις Μην ξημερώνεις ουρανέ
Άδεια η ψυχή μου, το δωμάτιο άδειο κι από τo όνειρό μου ακούω καθάριο το λυγμό σου να λέει όνειρο ήτανε, όνειρο ήτανε
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The sky turns on the lights nothing will never be like before the sun rose again I wake up in the light, I open my eyes I’m dead for a while, I’m lost for a while the sun rose againAnd you are gone just like sleep,Together with the dream’s colourful swan Sky please don’t dawn
My soul is empty, my room is empty and from my dream I can clearly hear Her sobbing is saying that it was just a dream, it was a dream
You will come again when the night falls I only see you there [in the dream] my darling
But you leave in the morning, I open my eyes and you die at once
My soul is empty, my room is empty and from my dream I can clearly hear Her sobbing is saying that it was just a dream, it was a dream
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Interview with Alkinoos Ioannidis
Ioannidis rarely gives interviews or takes part in television shows, but in 2016 he gave an interview before touring in Australia, which you can also read here. His answer to one of the questions feels very relevant, even nowadays:
Q: Your latest work, ‘Small Suitcase’, is dedicated “to those who are forced to leave their homes and those who have been abandoned by their motherland”. What fits inside this small suitcase?
A: It carries all you would take with you if you were forced to leave. The bare essentials. Love, soul, memory, the dream, faith, endurance. It carries what could ensure I’d keep seeing my own face no matter how many times I’d have to look into a ‘foreign’ mirror. How do you see the recent refugee crisis? When you want to be a human, you need to act like a human at all times. Especially during the most difficult time, when a fellow human being is fighting with the ice-cold waves, forced to leave their home, with a child in their arms. That is when you are supposed to reach out your hand and open your home. Otherwise, you’re not human. Do what the Greek islanders have been doing for months now, every day and every night. What this will later cost our country and each and every one of us individually is a different story. Receiving such a huge number of refugees is something we will have to deal with extreme seriousness and sensibility.
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If you are interested to learn about different Greek music genres, such as rebetika, laika and entechna, with the special eBooks which have been created by the Omilo teachers. The books include a short overview of the history of each genre, the most important artists, short exercises, audio and lyrics so that you can listen to the songs and read the lyrics at the same time!
