Marios Tokas
Encyclopedia
Marios Tokas (8 June 1954 – 27 April 2008) Greek composer
of traditional music born in Limassol
, Cyprus
. In the 1974 invasion, he fought as a soldier against the Turkish invadors. In 1975 he went to Athens in order to study in the philosophical school. At the same time, he studied in the Ethniko Odio because he wanted to start a career as a musician. In 2004, Tokas and his six-member orchestra gave a concert in Vienna
. The concert was co-organised by the Greek
Society of Austria
and the Athens
Sports Association "Pantalkis" with the support of the General Secretariat of Hellenism
Abroad of the Greek
Foreign Ministry, under the auspices of the Cypriot
ambassador
to Austria
.
His last work was the official anthem of the Cyprus University of Technology
.
had visited him in the hospital towards the end of his life. He was buried in Athens' First cemetery.
He is regarded as the most prominent composer in Cyprus and one of the most important in Greece. M. Tokas will always be remembered for his passion for Cyprus and the connection of his music with Cyprus.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of traditional music born in Limassol
Limassol
Limassol is the second-largest city in Cyprus, with a population of 228,000 . It is the largest city in geographical size, and the biggest municipality on the island. The city is located on Akrotiri Bay, on the island's southern coast and it is the capital of Limassol District.Limassol is the...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. In the 1974 invasion, he fought as a soldier against the Turkish invadors. In 1975 he went to Athens in order to study in the philosophical school. At the same time, he studied in the Ethniko Odio because he wanted to start a career as a musician. In 2004, Tokas and his six-member orchestra gave a concert in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The concert was co-organised by the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Society of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and the Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
Sports Association "Pantalkis" with the support of the General Secretariat of Hellenism
Culture of Greece
The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Mycenaean Greece, continuing most notably into Classical Greece, through the influence of the Roman Empire and its Greek Eastern successor the Byzantine Empire...
Abroad of the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
Foreign Ministry, under the auspices of the Cypriot
Greek Cypriots
Greek Cypriots are the ethnic Greek population of Cyprus, forming the island's largest ethnolinguistic community at 77% of the population. Greek Cypriots are mostly members of the Church of Cyprus, an autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church within the wider communion of Orthodox Christianity...
ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Musical career
Marios Tokas has worked with some of the most famous Greek singers.Dimitris Mitropanos, Constantina, Yiannis Parios, Aleka Kanellidou, Charis Alexiou, Dimitra Galani, Dionisis Theodosis, Katerina Kouka, Antonis Kalogiannis and Manolis Mitsias are just a few of them. He always offered free of charge concerts every summer in his native Cyprus, for all the 18year olds that were going for their 26 month compulsory service in the National Guard. Marios Tokas was a superb composer and his work includes religious albums, folk albums, soundtracks to television shows, and pure Greek music.His last work was the official anthem of the Cyprus University of Technology
Cyprus University of Technology
The Cyprus University of Technology , is a young university established in 2004. Its first intake of students was for the academic year 2007-08...
.
Death
On 27 April 2008, Tokas died of cancer in Athens. Cypriot president Dimitris ChristofiasDimitris Christofias
Dimitris Christofias also Demetris is a left-wing Greek Cypriot politician and the current and sixth President of the Republic of Cyprus. Christofias was the General Secretary of AKEL and is Cyprus's first, and the European Union's first and so far only, communist head of state. He won the 2008...
had visited him in the hospital towards the end of his life. He was buried in Athens' First cemetery.
He is regarded as the most prominent composer in Cyprus and one of the most important in Greece. M. Tokas will always be remembered for his passion for Cyprus and the connection of his music with Cyprus.