The book “Πάνος Γεραµάνης και «Λαϊκοί Βάρδοι»: Στιγµές από τη ζωή τους” (Panos Geramanis and Folk Bards: Moments from Their Lives) was the starting point for a heartfelt discussion on Voice of Greece, in the program “Take Your Time”, with guests journalist Marianna Tziantzi and Nafsika Geramani, wife of the unforgettable Panos Geramanis—the man whose name became inseparable from Greek popular song and its creators, through his broadcasts on Hellenic Radio.
The book is an anthology drawn from the transcripts of almost the entire body of Geramanis’ legendary program “Λαϊκοί Βάρδοι” (Folk Bards). Through these broadcasts, the history of Greek popular music travelled across the world on the frequencies of ERT.
In our conversation, Nafsika Geramani shared memories of her life with this remarkable journalist and human being: his close relationships with artists, his childhood years in Vasilika, Chalkida, and his early start in journalism. At just sixteen, he conducted the first of his fifty-seven interviews with Stelios Kazantzidis. She also spoke about his passion for football and Olympiakos, the moving letters he received from Greek expatriates across the globe who found comfort in his shows, and his invaluable contribution to the study and documentation of laïko song throughout his career.
The program also featured short excerpts from two of Panos Geramanis’ historic broadcasts.