Ioanna kalogeraki revives lost poems of the theodorakis brothers

In Crete, singer Ioanna Kalogeraki is preparing to perform a collection of poems by Yannis Theodorakis, brother of the famed composer Mikis Theodorakis, set to music. Kalogeraki discovered the poems, which Yannis had written and then discarded, after learning about their history from family and friends. Mikis, a committed political activist, found and preserved his brother’s lyrical work.

Kalogeraki felt a personal connection to the songs, as many were familiar from her childhood.

She was struck by Yannis Theodorakis’s courage in writing lyrical poetry during the Greek Civil War, a time when people were expected to take sides. The poems reflect a generation marked by defeat, a sentiment Kalogeraki believes still resonates in Greek society today. The singer describes finding the discarded poems as revealing a raw, honest look into the creative process. Mikis Theodorakis, despite his public political commitments, recognized and valued his brother’s internal struggles.

Kalogeraki collaborated with Argentinian bandoneon player Roman Gomez, whose instrument she felt captured the mood of the poems and complemented her voice. The performance at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum on September 27th is part of the Crete Festival. Kalogeraki, who also works in healthcare, believes that both art and medicine require a deep understanding of human emotion, and that her work in each field enriches the other.