In an atmosphere loaded with emotions and music, his family and friends, thousands of Cretans and travelers from elsewhere, political leaders and local authorities accompanied great composer and global Greek Mikis Theodorakis to his last home in the cemetery of the village of Galatas by Chania on Thursday.
As the procession moved from the Agios Nikolaos through the streets of Galata village and the the cemetery, the crowed shouted “immortal” and the 96 men – as many as the years of the deceased – in traditional Cretan costumes sang traditional rizitika songs, traditional Cretan songs of mourning.
When they would make a break, it was the crowd that started singing Mikis’ songs.
At the grave members of the Mikis theodorakis Orchestra sang to Mikis some of his favorites songs.
And there was Mikis Theodorakis buried next to his brothers and his parents, in the soil of the island he dearly love, Crete.
The funeral service in Chania was attended by the President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the Prime Minister and the Parliament Speaker, leaders from SYRIZA, KINAL/PASOK and KKE, a few ministers and lawmakers from several parties.
“Mikis Theodorakis will always be here. He will always be here, his work is immortal. A great Greek, a great composer,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said as he exited the church of Agios Nikolaos.
“Today we say goodbye to him as he deserved. The last great Greek of the 20th century,” Mitsotakis added, noting that his songs will be hummed and sung by “us, our children and our grand-children.”
The body of Mikis Theodorakis arrived with a ferry on the island of Crete early on Thursday morning. It was first taken to the Cathedral of the Presentation of the Virgin in the city of Chania, where it lay in state until noon so that members of the public could pay their respects.
Mikis Theodorakis passed away in his home in Athens last Thursday.
His music defined several generations of Greeks and their struggle for democracy. In the eyes of the wide world, Mikis’ tunes were directly associated with Greece and the Greek identity.
Mikis is immortal.
pictures: zarpanews.gr, social media
That video where they carried him out and people started applauding and then singing followed by another round of applause was very impressive. Goose bumps all the way through.