About Jani Christou...

Despite it’s title, this substack did not -until now -include any writing about books. This is pretty much owed to my limited free time in the last months, a situation which has spared me from the enjoyment of reading. It is therefore with high pleasure that I am able to -finally- write a small piece about a book published recently and is dedicated to Jani Christou.

Anyone trying to find who Jani Christou was in Wikipedia or in other “popular” sources, will easily notice how much limited is the available information. It is only in dedicated and specialised resources where someone has to resort to in order to discover and get into deeper contact with his works. Christou, who was born in Egypt in 1926 managed, until his early death in 1970, to be acknowledged as one of the most important but also provocative greek composers of the 20th century.

I will be personally very honest here and I will admit that I know very little and I even understand much lesser from the music of Christou. Thankfully, the book of Alexandros Adamopoulos avoids to focus on his music (Adamopoulos being a lawyer himself, wisely avoids to step into territories that he does not master) succeeding eventually to provide a very insightful view on the life and personality of Christou.

Definitely Christou - as much cliche as it may sound - was a man ahead of his time with his persona obtaining almost a mythical status due to his early passing. Enigmatic, controversial, provocative, innovative, spiritual and cosmopolitan at the same time - traits that possibly define a genius. All these elements of his personality are being properly highlighted in the book via memories, narratives, artefacts and documents. The book is neither a biography nor it follows a linear narrative structure - it is however a first class opportunity for someone to have a first contact with the life and works of Christou.

Those who are interested to continue further and embark on a journey with the music of Christou, can start by clicking below…