Emotion, strong performances and the enduring presence of Leonard Cohen shaped an emotional tribute concert at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens last Saturday.
Adam and Cassius Cohen, Cohen’s son and grandson, joined Manolis Famellos and Panos Mouzourakis for a musical tribute they had been preparing for years, marking the 10th anniversary of the legendary singer-songwriter’s death on November 7.
Several generations of Greek music came together to honour an artist who crossed musical and cultural boundaries.
Nikos Portokaloglou performed “I’m Your Man”, while Dimitra Galani delivered a particularly striking performance of “Kitrina Fota”, a Greek adaptation of “Famous Blue Raincoat” with lyrics by Lina Nikolakopoulou.
Elli Paspala brought the evening to a moving close with a deeply lyrical performance of “Hallelujah”.
Sugahspank, Skiadareses, Maria Papageorgiou and Stathis Drogosis also joined the tribute.
The packed venue frequently echoed with the audience quietly singing along with the performers.
The musical ensemble also featured Christos Vergo, K. BHTA, Giorgos Dimitriadis, Doro Dimosthenous, George Gaudy, Nalyssa Green, Kostis, LOU IS and Danae Panagiotopoulou.
Leonard Cohen and Hydra
Between performances, the programme screened excerpts from interviews, documentaries and footage of Cohen’s visits to Hydra, the Greek island where he lived for periods of his life and which remained closely associated with him.
Adam Cohen also referred to Hydra while speaking in the Greek he knows.
At the end of the evening, all the performers returned to the stage and encouraged the audience, as people gradually began making their way home, to sing along to “Dance Me to the End of Love”.
The tribute ultimately brought together Cohen’s music, his connection with Greece and the generations of Greek artists who continue to interpret his work.
