Poems from Guantanamo have been set to music by Greek-American composer and performer, Vasilios Gaitanos, who is among the most interesting piano players and a gifted singer as well.
A number of the poems cleared for release had been compiled in a book by defense lawyer and professor of Law School at Northern Illinois University, Marc Falkoff, who has represented 17 Muslim Guantánamo detainees. These poems allow the thoughts and feelings of Guantánamo detainees to finally be expressed in their own words. The book was first published in the United States in the summer of 2007.
“These are mainly ballads, leaning on sounds that shaped our sound and aesthetics for about half a century,” Gaitanos stated to Ana-mpa.
Vasilios Gaitanos comes from the islands of Sifnos and Crete. In 1970 he came to the United States where he began to study piano. Later he joined the orchestra of Mikis Theodorakis, where he remained for four years touring the world with the great Greek composer. Since 1974 he has been living in Chicago where he is part of the lively Greek music scene. His songs include the work of many great contemporary Greek songwriters and range from passionate songs about Greece to stirring political anthems.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
