Kleon Triantafyllou

Famous light music composer Kleon Triantafyllou is better known as Attik. Attik was the son of a wealthy Greek cotton merchant of Egypt. He lived in Paris for some years. He became an accomplished pianist, composer, singer, actor, mime and one-man show. Once he performed in front of the last Czar. He is also remembered for his famous double whistle while playing the piano. Just like his role in his only film "Hirokrotimata", Attik had a sensitive heart and used always to fall in love with his leading ladies. Many talented young ladies became celebrity singers in Attik's theatre. Among his many famous songs, there was one, 'I have seen eyes', which was dedicated to his beautiful wife Marika Filippidou. But his wife left him to marry Spiros Mercouris who became later mayor of Athens. Famous Greek actress Melina Mercouri was the product of that marriage. There is a story that Marika Filippidou came with her new husband to the theater while Attik was performing on stage. The audience noticed her and started to shout to Attik to play the song 'I have seen eyes'. Attik, in great anguish, retreated behind the curtains. But he was a great and talented artist, so ten later he appeared again on stage, sat by the piano and played a new song he had just composed. The first lines of the song were the following: 'You have asked me to tell you of my first tune, my piques of the past, you have asked 'I have seen eyes' that have smashed me into pieces. In an old wound, still bleeding, you don't twist the knife'. The audience applauded enthusiastically. The song became a huge success. In August 1944 as Attik was walking in downtown Athens, he bumped, by mistake into a German soldier. The German soldier beat him up. That night, heart-broken, the sensitive Attik took an overdose of his sedative medicine and died in his sleep.