France was Theodorakis’ second home, says French Institute

France was Mikis Theodorakis’ second home since the 1950s and offered him refuge during the Greek dictatorship, the French Institute in Greece said on Thursday, in its tribute to the late great Greek composer.

On its website, the institute posted a photograph of Theodorakis after he was appointed Commander of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest French order of merit. 

At the conferring in the French Embassy in 2007, Theodorakis noted that his most popular songs were written in Paris, where both his children were born, the insitute said. He also recalled his friendship with French statesman François Mitterrand. 

“Freedom, music and politics: for Mikis Theodorakis these three words were inextricably linked with Paris and France. Mikis Theodorakis is immortal,” the institute added.