In his interview, Giorgos Andreou speaks in detail about the creation of the show “MARIKA—They Told Me, MARIKA, They Took Me Out,” and his longstanding engagement with the role of women in 20th-century Greek music. As he explains, the initial idea stemmed from the need to highlight the status and careers of great female singers who had a decisive influence on Greek culture, both in Greece as well as in Smyrna and America.
It refers to the conscious choice made by Marika Papagika and Marika Ninou, two women who never met in real life but come together on stage through fiction. It describes their contrasts and shared roots, their journeys as refugees, the social conditions of the era, and how these lives shaped the style and evolution of folk music.
George Andreou also discusses his collaboration with Odysseas Ioannou and how music and text come together to create a musical theater drama. Special mention is made of the composition of original musical pieces, as well as their coexistence with iconic songs from the Greek tradition, highlighting the evolution of folk music over time.
Finally, it highlights the performers, the musicians, and the stage atmosphere of the Emvasis Theater, which serves as a living backdrop of memory for these women’s stories, transforming the performance into an experience dedicated to music, history, and the presence of women in Greek song.
