Giorgos Bithikotsis — LAST PUBLIC APPEARANCE [2002]

From a tribute concert to the great Grigoris Bithikotsis held at the Peace & Friendship stadium in Athens in 2002. In this rare footage 84 year old Bithikotsis is asked to come on the stage and join those who performed. He chooses to sing Tou Votanikou o Magkas, whose lyrics in retrospect eerily refer to Bithikotsis own life and death. Overcome by the tribute and emotion of the audience, Bithikotsis launches into an impromptu zeimbekiko. It was to be his last public appearance. His death was one the last of his generation of truly great writers and performers of Greek laiko music performers of post WWII Greece. The only remaining living performer is Spiros Zagoraios.