The show “Take Your Time”, hosted by Prokopis Agelopoulos, welcomed director Michalis Kafantaris and mezzo-soprano Kleoniki Demiri to the studio, on the occasion of the recent release of the music video “I Tsakistra”, featuring Kleoniki Demiri and composed by Nikos Platyrachos for Michalis Kafantaris’ film “Behind the Sins”.
“I Tsakistra”: The Fatal Woman of Smyrna
Smyrna—a fateful city that was tragically lost in flames in the early 20th century.
Among those who managed to escape, many carried with them the rich dialect of Smyrna, filled with unique words such as “Tsakistra”, which refers to a young woman with a slender waist that sways as she walks, breaking hearts just as she “bends” her own form.
The song “I Tsakistra” is part of the soundtrack for the highly anticipated film “Behind the Sins”, one of whose three storylines explores the influence of the Smyrnaic culture in interwar Drapetsona. The music for the song and the entire film is composed by Nikos Platyrachos, who masterfully crafts a melody celebrating eternal youth and the feminine allure of Smyrna. The lyrics are written by Michalis Kafantaris, the film’s director and screenwriter.
Kleoniki Demiri appears in the music video as well as in the film, portraying one of the many lyrical singers who arrived from Smyrna after the catastrophe. It is worth remembering that while Greece had only one opera house at the time, Smyrna boasted four. Through her role, Kleoniki Demiri embodies the Smyrnaic artists who not only survived in their new homeland but also built successful careers, revitalizing Greece’s musical landscape.
Both the music video and the entire film were shot using old black-and-white cinema techniques, packed with historical and cultural elements from Smyrna for the audience to uncover. Some of these include the number 13, appearing briefly to remind us of the day Smyrna was engulfed in flames, or the sudden appearance of a “Smyrnaic Woman at the Window”, perhaps the most famous lyric ever written about a Tsakistra, still sung to this day.
Naturally, such a project would not be complete without the emblem of this great musical tradition—the Smyrnaic violin, brought to life by virtuoso Kyriakos Gouventas, accompanied by equally renowned musicians.
The music video also features authentic scenes from the film, showcasing actors:
Eufimia Kalogianni, Dimitra Derzekou, Anastasia Triantafyllidi, Kostas Papadopoulos, Marianna Dirou, Pelia Giannoulatou, Kostas Tsiakos, Antonis Dagiasis, Alexandros Misirliadis, Rodoula ChamiloThori, Myriam Kalatzi, Georgia Kakarinou, Maria Tragoulia, Haris Giachnis, Pavlos Giannakouros. Special appearance by Kostas Garametsis.