Maria Karystianou and Pavlos Aslanidis joined voices with thousands of others at Kallimarmaro, where the concert for the Tempe victims took place on Friday night.
A sold-out memorial with emotional messages
Thousands attended the huge concert in Kallimarmaro, held in memory of the 57 victims of the Tempe tragedy. Young people, the same age as those lost, along with older attendees, arrived early for the sold-out memorial concert, which ended a few minutes past midnight on Friday.
Many relatives of the victims were present at the stadium, as well, although, in the days leading up to the event, ticket sales had caused some disagreement among them. The proceeds from the concert will go towards covering legal costs.
Doors opened at 5 p.m. Athens time, and the concert began shortly after 7 p.m. However, crowds had started gathering in front of the stadium at noon. Stefanos Kasselakis also attended the event.
Artists’ powerful statements and political messages
The lyrics of the songs at the event were full of social and political messages, while the artists themselves, in their brief remarks between songs, spoke about “crime” and “state murder,” maintaining that these not be forgotten and justice be served.
Louis of Anogeia opened the concert, followed by the band Koini Thniti. Notably, Koini Thniti ended their performance with the song “I’ll Be Late Tonight,” which they wrote especially for Tempe.
Shortly before, their frontman shouted, “Freedom to Palestine,” and the stadium erupted in response.
Memorable performances and personal tributes in the concert for the Tempe victims
“Tonight we will sing songs of love and anger, dedicated to the parents,” said Phoivos Delivorias when he came on stage. He made special reference to “our national irresponsible-responsibles,” who hide behind “parliamentary immunities.” He concluded his performance with a moving song he wrote “Last Night,” which he wrote, as he revealed, about Tempe. The final line of the song was, “I’ll call you my child when I arrive.”
“We don’t forget, we will never forget, and we won’t rest until the guilty are behind bars,” said Tania Tsanaklidou when she took the stage. She wore a bracelet with the symbol of Palestine and a scarf reminiscent of a kafiya.
“When we are united, nothing can defeat us,” she added, later reading a girl’s letter. She reflected that, along with the 57 people lost in Tempe, “our faith in society and the system was also lost.” She urged the audience not to allow anyone to convince us that tomorrow cannot be better.
Before his performance, Sokratis Malamas invited Maria Karystianou to speak. He then addressed the audience, saying: “The message is you, and the recipient is the sky.” He dedicated the song “The Garden” to the parents who lost their children in the Tempe train wreck.
Thanasis Papakonstantinou called for justice, saying, in regard to the 57 victims: “I wish they were alive, and this concert didn’t have to take place.”
Phoivos Delivorias, Koini Thniti, Sokratis Malamas, Thanasis Papakonstantinou, Martha Fritzila, and Tania Tsanaklidou all participated in the concert. Guest artist Dimitris Mystakidis joined Koini Thniti on stage.
The Association of Relatives of Victims stressed that the event was an evening of unity and remembrance. “Nobody came back…we know that well. Alas, for those who continue to forget and overlook, to the extent possible in the world we live in, let this fight bring a better tomorrow for the children of this land,” it was said.