Stavros Kouyioumtzis, also Kougioumtzis, Kouyoumtzis, or Koujioumtzis, (23 July 1932 – 12 March 2005) ( el, Σταύρος Κουγιουμτζής ) is one of the most significant Greek music

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

s of the 20th century. Kouyioumtzis was born in Thessaloniki in 1932. His family were refugees from Asia Minor.sansimera Σταύρος Κουγιουμτζής
/ref> He wrote his first song in 1960. quickly becoming a prolific writer, whose work was covered by many of the leading Greek singers. In the late 1960s, he began working with the then 19-year-old George Dalaras. He wrote Dalaras' first songs and helped establish Dalaras as one of the most important and successful Greek singers of all time. Kouyioumtzis' songs have been covered by many important Greek singers, inclouding; Anna Vissi, Haris Alexiou,

Yiannis Parios Yiannis Parios ( el, Γιάννης Πάριος) is a Greek singer, with a career spanning five decades. Biography Yiannis Parios was born Ioannis Varthakouris (Ιωάννης Βαρθακούρης) on the island of Paros. He made his firs ...

Eleftheria Arvanitaki Eleftheria Arvanitaki (Greek: Ελευθερία Αρβανιτάκη) (born 17 October 1957 in Piraeus) is a Greek folk singer. She originates from the island of Icaria. Arvanitaki has worked with important musicians, such as Cesária Évora, Ar ...

and Giannis Kalatzis. Aside from his solo compositions, Kouyioumtzis co-operated frequently with the poet-lyricist

Manos Eleftheriou Manos Eleftheriou ( el, Μάνος Ελευθερίου; 12 March 1938 – 22 July 2018), was a Greek poet, lyricist and prose writer. He had written poetry collections, short stories, a novella, two novels and more than 400 songs. At the same ...

. Kouyioumtzis' songs are regarded as top-quality music in Greece. Both his solo writing as well as his co writes with

. His songs resonated deeply with Greeks in the sixties, exploring themes of; love, poverty and the agonies faced by the poor in living with dignity. According to lyricist Lefteris Papadopoulos, Kouyioumtzis "followed the music spirit which was dominant in Greece during the last 25 years (from 1965 to 1990) through the music of Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis". Kouyioumtzis is remembered as a character of calm disposition, widely respected and held in the highest esteem by many, both in the field of Greek music as well as Greeks in general. A bashful character, it is characteristic that Kouyioumtzis preferred privacy over celebrity. Media appearances were infrequent, except on special occasions. His last appearance on television was in the entertainment music show of

Spyros Papadopoulos Spiro(s) may refer to: * Spiro, Oklahoma, a town in the U.S. ** Spiro Mounds, an archaeological site * Spiro (band), a British music group * Spiro (name), including a list of people with the name * Špiro, South Slavic masculine given name * ARA ...

on NET TV. During his last few years he left his Athens home and returned to his birthplace, Thessaloniki, where he continued working on music and songs until he died suddenly on 12 March 2005. His funeral took place at the Cathedral in the Municipality of Kalamaria and he was buried at the cemetery of Kalamaria, in East Thessaloniki. Some of Kouyioumtzis' most famous songs are: * (Where are the years gone by) * (Don't be angry with me, my love) * (One drop is all my joy) * (If it was 1821) * (The red dress) * (Somewhere the night is falling) * (In the times of patience) * (At the highly window s) * (Someone knocked on the door) * (Years like rain) * (Those free and beautiful) * (You kissed someone else) * (Oh thou dear as my eyes) * (Your heart's debts) * (Everything is all right)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kouyioumtzis, Stavros 1932 births 2005 deaths Greek songwriters Greek lyricists Musicians from Thessaloniki