Edit By Vassilios Nicolaos Vitsilogiannis

(IG: @vassiliosvitsilogiannis)

In 1986, the composer Giannis Kikos saw a film about Hiroshima and was inspired to write the song. In his mind, he had a beautiful voice in mind to perform it. When he heard Despina Tsolaki in Edessa a few years ago, he said, “This voice is the voice I want to sing the song of Hiroshima.” He waited for years until the right moment came. Last summer, the team for the music video arrived and started the filming in Edessa, the song was orchestrated in the Monastery of Northern Macedonia by Risto Krstevski. The result was undoubtedly amazing; the music video was shot in Edessa in the Greek language.

Funding came from the DEKED (Municipal Enterprise of Edessa) the Greek version and from sponsors of Edessa the English version. However, Despina Tsolaki’s dream was to be sung in Japanese because Hiroshima belongs in Japan. Seventy-eight years ago, the first nuclear bomb fell, annihilating the entire city. Thousands of innocent souls lost their lives and another 100,000 died of the radiation it left behind. Hiroshima is the symbol of peace—no more bombs, no more war.

The composer is Giannis Kikos, and Despina Tsolaki performs it. Giannis Kikos and Despina Tsolaki wrote the lyrics. Spyros Messaris and Tasos Kakos did the Japanese language adaptation. Production took place in Takis Argyriou’s studio. Maria Katsari is responsible for the musical arrangement, and Kostas Mouratidis directed it. The filming took place in the city of Edessa. The production team wanted Edessa, with its waterfall, to travel around the world and send the message of peace.