Greek singer Petros Iakovidis paid an emotional on-stage tribute to fellow performer Giorgos Mazonakis on Friday, September 11, during the premiere of his new show alongside singer Elli Kokkinou. Mazonakis, a colleague of Iakovidis in the Greek music industry, died at the age of 54.
Speaking to the patrons at the venue, Iakovidis said it happened to be his birthday, and told the crowd that many years earlier, when he was still living in the northern port city of Kavala, he had imagined experiencing a night just like the one unfolding in front of him.
First song Iakovidis ever sang was written by Mazonakis
Iakovidis then told the audience that the very first song he ever performed was one written by Mazonakis. He said the two had only grown close over the past year, after he got the chance to know Mazonakis well, and that what he came to understand was that Mazonakis was simply unique.
Iakovidis said that beyond being a good person, Mazonakis had also been a tremendous human being. He told the crowd he wanted them to honor Mazonakis properly, to say goodbye to him and to sing together as he deserved. He then invited everyone present to bid the singer farewell as one.
Part of a wider wave of stage tributes
Iakovidis's tribute was one of several paid to Mazonakis from the stage in the days following his death, with other performers likewise using their own shows to remember their colleague publicly. Iakovidis was among the latest artists to do so, using his own premiere night to honor Mazonakis in front of his own audience.
Who was Giorgos Mazonakis
Mazonakis was a well known figure in Greek laiko, or popular, music, with a singing career that spanned decades before his death at 54. His passing has been felt across the Greek entertainment industry, with singers, songwriters and musicians paying public tribute to him in the days since.
Elli Kokkinou, who shared the stage with Iakovidis for the September 11 premiere, is herself an established singer on the Greek live music circuit, where performers frequently open new seasons with joint shows at nightclub-style venues. Kavala, the city Iakovidis recalled from his early career, is a port city on Greece's northern Aegean coast and one of several provincial towns that have produced performers who went on to build careers on Athens's live music stages.
