The music we will perform tonight will be songs of the great Vasilis Tsitsanis (1915-1984). He is  generally acknowledged as one of the greatest icons of Greek music. Born of the Rebetiko tradition, over the many years of composing his music evolved into the more popular music form ‘laiko’. He is attributed with revolutionising the sound of Greek music with his special blending of modal and byzantine melodies with western harmonies and traditional rhythmic patterns from which an intricate and rich sound emerged. He was a prolific composer. For every one song that other composers wrote, Tsitsanis wrote ten. His imagination and creativity knew no bounds and his songs have become anthems of Greek culture. Even today they are played daily over the radio and people of all ages listen to them and sing along as a part of daily life.