The Unsung Rowing Man of ERT’s radio galley.
His work was silent but significant. He built, evaluated, discussed, cared for, and meticulously cataloged our “Radio Library”! Wise, intelligent, and courteous within the bounds of “Noble”: a GENTLEMAN!
Haris mainly received all the music and accompanying materials. Songs, texts, biographies, press releases, events and works by artists, covers—anything an artist submits and declares as their identity.
You could call him, talk to him, and he would speak with extensive musical knowledge and unmatched courtesy and love for musicians. He was delighted when he spoke about new talent, the diamonds he discovered, recognized, and talked to them simply and generously, without pretension.
In the evenings, after we finished work and took the last night buses, after hours of endless, analytical, meticulous work—considering there were days he had to listen to 100 or 200 new songs—he would listen to each one individually and catalog it. From rebetiko, rock, soundtracks, classical, jazz, Celtic, Balkan, ethnic, across different eras, decades, musical movements—an entire musical spectrum, neatly arranged, cataloged, a map so clear you couldn’t get lost, even if you weren’t familiar with it!
I’m not a music producer; I’m a plain producer. But musicians who came to me, the musicians he recommended, and those I found and sent directly to him to coordinate—all were amazed by his attentive approach, his willingness to discuss with them, his courtesy, and his joy in guiding them.
Those who, or almost all who, passed through “Odysseus”—one by one—will speak live about this figure and place their own melodic flower to bid him farewell.
And we, his colleagues, the technician, the producer, and the caring Jessica Alepi, who will act as telephone operator for our colleague, gentleman, and our Silk Man of the 3rd floor of Radiomegaro, will do the same.
“Aristocrat” is how Yiannis ‘Bach’ Spyropoulos refers to him. Yiannis ‘Bach’ Spyropoulos will join us in the studio, just to say a few words as a tribute to the invaluable Haris Koudounas!