Greek singer Antonis Kalogiannis passes away aged 80

Popular Greek singer Antonis Kalogiannis (Αντώνης Καλογιάννης) has passed away at the age of 80.

He was born in the Athenian neighbourhood of Kaisariani in 1940.

Kalogiannis was an artist who stood out for his rich voice with a rich facet of colour.

He also collaborated with numerous leading Greek composers including Mikis Theodorakis, Stavros Xarchakos, Dimos Moutsis and Mimis Plessas, to name a few.

In 1966, he met Theodorakis by chance and toured with him across Greece, Europe, and the Soviet Union.

During the dictatorship, Kalogiannis left Greece in 1967 along with Maria Farantouri and others. They performed internationally due to the political situation in Greece.

In 1972, Antonis Kalogiannis returned to Greece and sang in several bars in Plaka.

During this time he teamed up with Theodorakis again, to fight the dictatorship with powerful songs that inspired Greeks to rise up against the Junta, which fell in 1974.

"I was closely connected with Antonis Kalogiannis," Mikis Theodorakis said on the passing of his friend.

"But apart from his beautiful voice that moved me unimaginably, our characters also matched very well. We were friends!"

"I think it is very unfair that he left first and left me behind to live with our beautiful memories, full of music and love," he concluded.

*Listen to some of Antonis Kalogiannis' music-