MIkis Theodorakis 1925-2021

Mikis Theodorakis the best-known Greek composer and lyricist died today at the age of 96.  He composed music for the films "Zorba the Greek" (1964) and "Z" (1969).  His "Mauthausen Trilogy" also known as "The Ballad of Mauthausen" is considered the most beautiful music written about the Holocaust.  Politically he clearly stood on the left and was a member of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE).  He was among the most prominent opponents against the 1967-1974 Greek junta which imprisoned and tortured him.  In 1989 he run for Parliament as an independent candidate and was instrumental in creating a coalition between conservatives, socialists, and communists.  He became a minister in the government of Constantine Mitsotakis, a conservative, and fought against drugs, for better education, and for better relations between Greece and Turkey. "Today we lost part of the soul of Greece," said Culture Minister Lina Mendoni "the man who made Greeks sing poetry"