(A friendly conversation about music, poetry, the world as it is and as we would like it to be).
With George Stavrakakis you never sit across from him. You sit next to him. The conversation has no beginning and end, it has pauses. And these pauses often say more than can fit into a question. George is not one of those people who “follows the times.” They traverse them. They traverse them with attention, with empathy, and with a persistent refusal to simplify the world to fit into easy shapes. His music—like his poetry and his visual arts—does not lend itself to quick consumption. They demand time and repay with depth.
Friends for years, this time we decided to let the conversation flow. To talk about what happened, what is changing, the world that is hurting, the new year, and the songs that may already be waiting their turn.
George, when was the last time you felt like a song overtook you? That it came before you even had time to think about it?
I don't usually blackmail situations. I have an idea, I put it forward. If it doesn't satisfy me along the way, I let it wait. The song will call me back in its own way. So it's not something that runs to catch up with the creator or vice versa. You've found the idea, you've created the landscape. From there on, there's the eight hours of, let's say, work, which you can't avoid. That's how it is, beyond ideas, there are also working hours. Because no matter how we do it, there's no Divine inspiration. Only ideas and work.
Your lyrics often feel like poems that just found a rhythm to walk. Who do you feel closer to today? The songwriter or the poet?
Yes! That's true. I try as hard as I can and I don't know if I manage to distance myself from the poet when I write songs. Something that was incredibly difficult for me but has finally stopped bothering me for a long time now, since I have accepted the dual nature of my art. This is who I am, this is what I can do.
Are there words that you understand from the beginning that shouldn't be made into a song and should be left alone, as poetry?
No. Because when I write songs I do it together. Lyrics and music. That's how I've learned and I don't hide from you that it's difficult for me to do it differently. Whenever, for example, I tried to set other people's words to music, I didn't succeed. So what I can answer you is that when I read words that just fell into my hands, yes I can understand from the beginning that this is a text that works on its own and doesn't need music to stand out. But when I write, I know that this is a song. If some listeners find that this is also poetry, I don't care.
When you write poetry, do you feel more freedom or more exposure? Is it a refuge for you or a more direct form of truth?
From the moment you decide to share some things with others, even a few, all the things you ask of me cease to be valid. There is no refuge for me. I do not feel that anyone is pursuing me beyond the need that is presented to me, constantly and relentlessly, to build my own neighborhoods and my own worlds.
Are you reading other people's poetry today? Does it influence you or do you keep your distance so that your own voice doesn't get lost?
Yes, I read. Mainly young poets, and here I would like to say that there are many remarkable ones who, having taken over from the previous generation, are trying to find their own pace and at the same time propose new ways of expression and conversation. We will see where all this will lead and what it will yield. It will take time because that is always the case with this type of literature. But to come back to your question, as far as I am concerned, no I do not keep any distance, as I told you before I read whenever I can, without thinking about how I write or how I am going to write in the future.
And finally, do you think poetry still has a place in our world or does it simply insist on existing, quietly, for those who need it?
It has been, it has been and it always will be. From the time of Archilochus - who, incidentally, is also the first renegade in the history of mankind, refusing to participate in wars - until today, many people have had the need for this kind of conversation. On the other hand, it is known that poetry is very low in the preferences of the reading public, perhaps because it is a difficult and often, frankly, incomprehensible genre of literature.
If you look back on your journey, do you see a unified path or a series of ruptures and changes that ultimately shaped you?
I did and continue to do things perhaps far from what the world wanted and wants. I was never interested, and of course I still am not interested, in accepting an audience that is ignorant of what Art is, what creation is and what its role is in this life. I was never tempted to follow and accept the weaknesses of this audience and to give a "pardon" to those who turn their backs on what they cannot or refuse to understand. They are them and I am. Without rivalry and without anger. Two parallel, but so different worlds, that will never meet! I accepted all this very early in my life. If you like, it is a peculiar loneliness that followed and follows my flesh in unimaginable creative ways.
Were there times when you questioned not your technique, but your own voice?
No, I don't think so. Everything that was shaped, was shaped in my adolescence. I walked around in this outfit for so many years. Of course, there were some changes over the years, but they didn't scare me at all. I would say the same! Watching myself, I felt that the expressive means I had at my disposal in order to get my songs out were increasing.
What did you keep growing up and what did you leave behind without regret?
I left any mistakes behind and I keep the enthusiasm and need for creation for the rest of my life.
Crete is always present, sometimes overtly and sometimes underground. Is it a memory, a sound, an attitude towards life or a rhythm that never leaves?
Crete is a big part of my life that I always carry with me. It's the smells, it's the friends, it's the images that have haunted your insides and won't go away. But it's also bittersweet and disappointing. So it makes sense that all of these things lurk like lanterns inside me during my creative journey.
Your visual arts seem to converse with music and poetry, but in different terms. Is it a continuation or a completely different world?
The starting points are different, I would say, but the destination is the same. Different landscapes that eventually meet, revealing a dreamlike world.
What do you find in visual creation that singing doesn't give you?
The world is equally interesting and creative. When for some reason I stumble upon some lyrics and sometimes music, I grab the tools and forget myself. When I stumble there too, the little pauses come. The company of friends, few but good ones, no books, no supermarkets, a part of everyday life that you can't ignore, until that moment comes when you grab the tools again.
When you work with your hands, with materials, does the way you experience time change?
No, I don't think so. After all, creation somehow neutralizes time, taking you out of a long tunnel, into the light.
Do the ships, the figures, the objects you create have symbolic weight or do they function more instinctively?
I try to travel to uncharted worlds, with all those beasts lurking along the journey. It's a game and at the same time a never-ending quest. My ships, made of trash and useless for some objects, have the chance for a second life, but this time without an expiration date.
And finally, which art form exposes you the most; singing, poetry, or construction?
One is an extension of the other, but ultimately I believe that everything begins with poetic thought that slowly becomes poetic speech, song, construction. In all of this, exposure is a given.
How do you see Greek song today? Is there still room for quiet voices amidst the general noise? Is there anything in today's scene that really moves you?
The fact that there is an exclusion, a peculiar racism, towards young people who are trying to express themselves through music and singing takes us back many years. We are experiencing a long period when nothing new seems to be born, nothing new seems to be happening. As if all this activity stopped in 2000 and now for 25 whole years nothing has been moving. As if time and the image have frozen for two decades and more. The same and the same, the same and the same. And this of course is not the truth. It is the image and the situation that all those who pull the strings in Greek song are trying to impose as dominant - and they have succeeded - because that is what the radios want, that is what any remaining record companies want, that is what their industry wants. I am moved when I understand the anguish and disappointment in the efforts of young people to give their own voice to what they love and have neither the space nor the means. So let's leave aside what various people say to justify the unjustified. That supposedly there are no young talented creators. This is a huge lie. But what has been happening all these years with these young creators: most of them withdraw, disappointed by what is happening, with the result that many things remain in the drawers and die along with Greek song.
Do you feel that the song moved away from poetry or simply changed language?
A song is a song and poetry is poetry. All the attempts made in the past by great composers to set poets to music were most often unsuccessful. This is my opinion. Regardless of whether these songs were heard enough and were associated with various political or social events. Poetry has its own melody and it is, I would say, barbaric to try to dress it in a foreign and unnecessary garment. In any case, that is how the political and social situation wanted it and what happened happened. Now if the lyrics of some songs are made in such a way that they stand on their own as a text, as a poem, this is another matter that has to do with the way of expression of each creator and which is usually observed in songwriting. Where the triptych does not exist: composer, lyricist, performer.
We live in a time of tension, fear, and constant conflict. How do you see the world today?
The world has always been the same. Perhaps now we are more afraid of the conquest of technology that is rapidly adapting to military equipment and wars that were never declared. What we call hybrid attacks. Imperialism, with all that it entails, has always been here. Look now at what is happening with the Americans in Venezuela. This is not a war, but the complete humiliation of the freedom and self-determination of the countries of the planet. The strong are here and without any hesitation proceed with criminal actions, indifferent to what International Organizations or even the Constitution of their own country say. “By the way, Carthage must be destroyed,” Cato said and repeated openly in the Roman Senate at the end of each of his speeches. The same is repeated today by all sorts of powerful people on this planet.
Are you more tired of the noise or the lack of meaningful communication?
Now the noise!
Do you believe that art can still function as a meeting place, or has it also been carried away by speed and polarization?
I think that even the creators themselves are not interested in these kinds of meetings. What happens today is more about people's inner selves, indifferent to what is happening around them and which could open up a discussion. To become a starting point, a current that will take us a little further. The situation is stuck somewhere. I don't know what is really wrong, what led us here. But I believe that at some point the matter will come to light. Art is a big deal for humanity and it cannot lose its value, because circumstances demand it.
Does singing today have to take a stand or is it enough to keep an open space for thought?
The song can talk about everything. And the reason - one of the structural elements of the song - is what makes it one of the greatest genres of music for me. Through the lyrics, everyone can express themselves and also touch everyone, identifying with it with their own personal experience or with collective memories.
As we enter a new year, what do you truly wish for the world as a person?
Time, as Einstein said, is a human invention. I don't expect anything from the new year. Okay, out of habit we wish each other, we are happy to set up this celebration because apparently we need it. Personally, I don't want to wish anything, other than that people should enjoy this excursion we call life and not think about time and its "quirks" in any way.
And for you yourself, what do you wish for?
Oh, I'm not good at that. I rarely make plans for the future. I might say I want to do this at some point, but I've stopped putting a time frame on it, because everything is fluid.
Something missing that you would like to see return?
Difficult things. I don't generally like to go back and miss things and situations. What's past is past. But, now that I think about it again, I would like us to meet again in front of a group dream, to exchange thoughts and anxieties, before we return to our solitude.
After that PostScript 2024, is there anything new you're working on?
Yes! My latest poem entitled "Fragile", which will be published these days by "Metronomos" publications.
I wish you success in "Efthraston" and a safe journey. But how are your new works born today? Is the process different from before?
Yes, to a certain extent it differs. First of all, many of the audio files can now be sent from home to the studio, since many musicians are equipped with high-fidelity equipment that can do an excellent job and of course in this way you can avoid the many hours of recording in the studio. Others choose to do the whole "package" at home. This of course requires a high-end Home Studio. But even there it is certain that some peripheral equipment that could give a perfect result will be missing. Now as far as I am concerned, there are some friends who participate in my work by sending some audio to the studio which, for practical and financial reasons, are done from afar. For example, I have some Greek collaborators - friends in France, who have participated in my latest work from afar!
In CD “Ambotis” of 2020, you collaborated with your son Stavros. What did this collaboration bring you?
“Ambotis” was written during the Covid quarantine. I sent Stavros lyrics from Athens and he worked on them musically in Heraklion. It was a very nice and fruitful collaboration. Later, when things somehow started to normalize, we met in Heraklion, with all the precautions of course, in order to make the recordings. This was a bit of an adventurous venture. But it was worth it.
Are you concerned about traffic anymore or just the need to complete something internally?
You know, when you finish a piece of work, a huge "ugh" comes out of you, a relief for what you've been fighting for so long, staying up all night, and rejoicing when you see it slowly being completed. Then, you know very well that there are some people who would like to have this creation in their hands. Okay, so you'll do them the "favor" of sharing it with them. I don't know if electronic discography works the same as printed discography. It seems that a lot of people are comfortable with the various electronic files and don't ask for anything more than to have the recording. I don't see it that way. I want to read the lyrics, see if you want the cover and any information that a printed edition contains.
Is there anything you would still like to try and haven't dared to?
I did what I wanted to do. I am completely satisfied with what I leave behind. After all, a true creator doesn't need any audience.
The conversation with Giorgos Stavrakakis never really ends. Just like his songs. You don't listen to them and forget them like the weekly hits. You carry Giorgos' songs with you. I still remember the melodies from the 2024 CD that settled in my ear from the first listen: "The House on the Beach", "Stakhanovitissa", "The Ballad of the Defeated", "The Visitors", "Ano Telia"... ah... now that I wrote "Ano Telia", another question came to mind:
George, in our previous meeting - with the release of PostScript - we said that we don't put a period, but we put an "Apostrophe", to take a breather for the continuation. Is this still true?
Yes. What I said is true, as long as time stands on my friendly side.
I wish you all the best and thank you for taking the time to have this beautiful conversation.
In a world that counts views & clicks, George counts the silences. In an era that demands quick answers, he insists on asking the right questions. And perhaps this is ultimately the most meaningful gift he gives us through his songs and poems: to remind us that the truth does not need to be rushed to be told and become ours. Apostrophe
George Bilikas
Photos: John D. Karnessiotis
George is here: https://gstavrakakis.gr/
