Thomas Venakis: a remarkable man, a Cretan through and through ...
From the PATRIS and Rethemniotika Nea newspapers:
by Yorghis Sifakis
There are certain people who stand out as soon as you meet them. They mesmerise you as soon as you hear them talking or singing to you. Such a man is Thomas Venakis,
son of Joseph, whose forebears originated in the village of Asfendou, in the Sfakia region, and then went on to grow up and achieve wonders in what is now the deserted village of Nisi, which was where Venosifis was born and bred, before creating his own family in Zouridi.
Nisi (= 'island'), which in the 1951 census numbered 27 inhabitants, was a village surrounded by rivers (hence the name), in a natural landscape of unique beauty, near the villages of Zouridi, Kato Poros, and Moundros. It is the location of the 'kollita' gorges, which should be visited at the first opportunity. This mention of Nisi is not a matter of chance. It was in this environment that Thomas and his siblings grew up, in a family following the traditional ways. He grew to love the manners and customs of Crete, as he listened to rizitika and Erotokritos sung and recited by the fine voice of his father, Venosifis. He grew to love the Cretan diet, provided by his mother, Vasiliki. The experiences of his childhood became a way of life for him.
In studying Chemistry at the University of Patra, Thomas underwent many privations. He continued his studies with the help of scholarships and earned his doctorate at the University of Zurich. He remained abroad for six years; although he could have stayed and worked at a foreign university with a high income and the prospect of an internationally recognised career, he preferred to return to his birthplace. As he himself explains, 'the way of life of the Europeans was not what I wanted'. In Greece, he took lessons in Greek music (Byzantine and demotic) with the renowned teacher Simon Karas. In his profession, he was appointed a secondary school teacher, and served as Principal of the Anogheia Junior High School (1983 - 1996), and, for the last 17 years of his career as Principal of the Arghyroupoli Junior High School.
All these years he has lived in his peaceful and beautiful village, Zouridi, trying to keep close to nature, which he adores. He cultivates his vegetable garden, bakes his own bread, and enjoys his walks, on which he gathers herbs from the flora in which the region abounds. It is typical of him that for 17 years he went on foot - a 50-minute journey - to the school at Arghyroupoli, following the ancient footpath leading to the 'Five Maidens', and from there to the school. He seeks to live as his forebears did, maintaining mens sana in corpore sano - a sound mind in a sound body.
During the 35 years of his career in education, Thomas was the Teacher, the Minister, of former times. Now, in his retirement, he has dedicated the poem below to young people. It speaks of the moment of parting of teacher and pupil:
"Here at the parting of the ways, at this moment,
tell me, Teacher - God bless you - what you advise me.
My dear young man, take great care of your youth,
and best to take the uphill road as you pass through.
It takes much toil to reach the summit,
but when you get there, your mind will rejoice and be filled with delight.
In FREEDOM and HONOUR live your life."
Thomas Venakis is endowed with a remarkable voice; when you hear it, it awakens emotions and experiences. His interpretation brings to life the meaning of the words, it transports you as if by magic to other times, it moves you deeply. This gift has been enriched by his great love for the songs in the language of Crete. He learnt rare rizitika songs from his father, Venosifis;
others he learnt in his wanderings among the villages, mountains, and gorges of western Crete. He has made a record of them in his mind and heart. This is precious material which, as he confided in me, he wishes to publish, so that it is not lost. He has, in addition, a unique skill in telling stories, which he is also thinking of publishing, in the genuine Cretan dialect.
His 'biblical' figure, with his full beard and long curling hair, lends him a special, primitive appearance, which perhaps gives rise to reservations when you first meet him. But his inner beauty and goodness surprise those who get to know him better. Civility, hospitableness, and courtesy such as his are not often met with today. I visited him in his solid old-style, stone-built house at Zouridi together with a friend we have in common - the President of the dance company Cretans' 'Draseis', Marinos Tsouknakis. We were impressed by the natural goodness of the food, his home-baked bread, and the good wine, and he captivated us with his hospitality.
On a number of occasions, Thomas Venakis has shared his talent by taking part in various performances. It will be recalled that in the concert in honour of Mikis Theodorakis last year in the Pan-Cretan Stadium, Thomas was the pleasant surprise among established artists. He stole the performance when he gave his interpretation of two rizitika songs and won the whole-hearted applause of the audience. Also, in September, at the Erophile Theatre in the Fortezza, Thomas played a leading role in the 'Aegean Tastes and Musics' event, organised by the Cretans' 'Draseis' association, the Municipality, and the Koufi Cultural Association. As a perfect host, he welcomed with his song the island associations who were the guests, but also presented songs from Crete, the islands, and Asia Minor. If you type his name into the Internet, you can admire his on-stage presence and enjoy his style.
People like Thomas Venakis are becoming rare in the present age of globalisation and consumerism. My personal view is that the state should make use of him, so that he can hand on his valuable knowledge and experience to our young people, who, unfortunately, are being led astray by the disastrous Western way of life.
In conclusion, I would like to quote the mantinada dedicated to him by the well-known lyrics-writer Stella Alexaki on the broadcast by Yorgos Vitoros with Thomas as its guest in March 2007:
"I kneel and do not raise my eyes from the ground
with religious devotion I pay homage to him.
On the same broadcast, an anonymous Chania resident commented:
"The guest's figure is like that of Zeus,
recalling antiquity and times of glory.
This is how I imagined him when a small child at school:
mild, wise, gentle, with a divine greatness."
An astonishing surprise, well done!
And what I will say is:
«Thomas can awake in us with his voice,
legends and memories of old,
every time he sings.»
* Yorghis Sifakis (Simisakoyorghis) is a lyrics-writer and producer for radio
