The “magical room” of Stelios will stay intact – “We might hear his songs being born, the home was stuffed with music, whereas the opposite facet, religion in God, shocked us” – “A spot of peace, the place we’ll bear in mind him by praying in God”
As of Saturday, October 19, 2024, the Limassol composer Stelios Pisis handed into eternity, on the age of 48. He had turn into identified not just for his lovely melodies and songs, however above all for the energy of his soul, which flourished in a physique crippled by muscular dystrophy.
Those that have been fortunate sufficient to know him converse of this greatness of his soul, his religion in God and his inexhaustible inspiration to compose, till the day he needed to be hospitalized once more. It was the early hours of September 20, a number of hours after he celebrated his forty eighth birthday.
As his mom, Aglaia Pisi, describes in KYPE, on September 19, Stelios' “magical room” was visited by family and associates to want him properly, sing and have a good time. Stelios Pisis was turning 48, having disproved even essentially the most optimistic predictions, because the common life expectancy for sufferers with muscular dystrophy doesn’t exceed 26 years.
The composer Kostas Kakogiannis, a pal and collaborator of Stelios, tells us concerning the day of his final birthday, how “he put unimaginable energy into celebrating it and talking to us”.
“He gave us a present by letting us hear his newest piece, which he composed for a world movie manufacturing, and we actually marveled on the greatness of his inspiration,” he mentioned.
Within the early hours of September 20, Stelios was taken to the hospital, with one other respiratory complication, and was hospitalized till his final breath, precisely one month from his birthday.
“The ache is actually nice, as a result of we don't see it, we don't contact it, we don't hear it,” says Aglaia Pisi, noting that what provides consolation and hope is the knowledge that “he’s now in heaven with the angels, subsequent to his father of”, who handed away on June third.
Deeply spiritual, Stelios used to say to his household “Are you aware what it means for the soul to be free of the physique and fly free within the ethers, within the heavens?”. “Now I'm certain that Stelios resides this,” provides his mom.
Stelios' expertise started to unfold on the age of 5, in entrance of a piano, whereas on the identical time the primary indicators of weak point in his physique appeared. Three years later he was identified with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
“We noticed all of the phases he went by means of, he began dropping pounds, falling down”, says Aglaia Pisi, including that on the age of 9 he began utilizing a wheelchair, which, nevertheless, didn’t cease him from persevering with to do what he loves, taking intensive music classes at dwelling and singing.
Stelios, he continues, “by no means requested us why this was occurring to me, by no means complained. It was as if he was prepared to simply accept every stage of his sickness,” he mentioned and famous that he by no means let himself and his two siblings, Christina and Kyriakos, really feel that there was an issue at dwelling.
In 1990 he begins writing his personal music and songs, whereas he receives the primary prize in a Cypriot songwriting competitors, with the tune “He’s an decoration of the sky”, in 1994, the 12 months by which he begins utilizing a ventilator within the evenings. Two years later, when Stelios was 20 years outdated, it was deemed vital to make use of a conveyable ventilator, which his mother and father situated and procured from America.
His first album was launched in 1997 with the title “Psifides”, with the tune of the identical title referring to the mosaics of the occupied church of Panagia Kanakaria, in addition to different songs devoted to Cyprus, which he carried out himself.
In 1999 he collaborates with the Kremlin Symphony Orchestra and conductor Pavel Ovjiannicov, on his second private disc with orchestral music, entitled “Transcendence”, whereas in 2000 he’s honored by the Institute of Neurology and Genetics and the Cyprus Myopathy Affiliation for his contribution of the income from the gross sales of those two information.
Throughout these years, Stelios participates in creative and charity occasions, whereas in 2004 muscular dystrophy confines him to mattress, from the place he continues to create with the assistance of a pc.
Entitled “Castalia and Sirens”, in 2005 he releases his third private album, foreworded by Giorgos Dalaras, and by which Cypriot artists take part, similar to Dimitris Fanis, who was speculated to be one of many individuals who mentioned goodbye to him, on Monday October 21, on the exodus service held within the Holy Church of Agios Kosmas Etolos, in Agios Athanasios.
As Dimitris Fanis talked about, each word and each phrase of Stelios was “the essence of his soul” and he was impressed by all facets of life, “from the morning breeze, the blooming flowers to the struggling of our place”. He would churn out his concepts for days, weeks and even months, he continued, “sifting them by means of a sieve to separate the chaff from the wheat” and “drawing his life on a pc to share east and west.”
The proceeds from the gross sales of his third album are donated to the group “Docs of the World” to assist these affected by the tsunami in Asia.
On the identical time, Stelios was honored by the primary group of the Cyprus “Leaders of the 12 months Awards” with the “Will Award”, whereas a 12 months later, in 2006, the corresponding Greek awards awarded him the “Will and Energy of Soul” award.
In 2007, he collaborated with screenwriter Giorgos Tsiakkas for the songs of the tv collection “Mila mou”, with the title tune of the identical title carried out by Antonis Remos. Giorgos Tsiakkas himself mentioned goodbye to his pal and companion, saying that “one among his nods was sufficient to fill the room with God. To turn into a co-creator in his works, in order that the souls of those that went to see him might be stuffed with God.”
In the identical 12 months, the documentary tribute to the Limassol composer entitled “Stelios – Transcendence”, by Costas Kakogiannis and Pampos Kouzalis, which, amongst different issues, gained the first Prize for Greatest Documentary on the thirty first Drama Brief Movie Competition and traveled everywhere in the world.
Having collaborated with Stelios Pisi on the orchestration of his songs, in addition to on his second file, with the Kremlin Symphony Orchestra, Kostas Kakogiannis informed KYPE that “I grew to become a director for his sake”.
“That documentary was the explanation for his work to unfold all over the place, since he traveled everywhere in the world and numerous organizations, colleges and church buildings, requested it to admire this phenomenon that was Stelios,” he mentioned.
In 2008 he was awarded, by the State, the “Individual of the 12 months 2007” award, whereas in the identical 12 months his fourth private album was launched with the songs of the tv collection “Mila mou”.
Following are new honors for Stelios Pisi's ethics, energy and contribution and live shows with songs from his information, with the participation of well-known Greek and Cypriot singers, similar to Antonis Vardis, Antonis Remos, Alcinoos Ioannidis, Koullis Theodorou , Stavros Konstantinou, Dimitris Fani, Christina Metaxa, Maria – Elena Kyriakou et al.
As Aglaia Pisi tells us, “in 2009 he might not use the ventilator masks he was carrying and we went to the Nicosia Hospital, the place he underwent a tracheotomy and was hospitalized for 2 months”.
“Infections have been now a standard phenomenon, he was in peril many occasions, we noticed him telling us he was leaving, not respiration and we didn't know if we might catch him till we went to the hospital”, he continues and provides that “at any time when he got here dwelling he informed us that his God he gave an extension and he should make the most of it.”
In 2010, the CD-Single “Panda Paido”, carried out by Nikolas Metaxas and lyrics by Stavros Stavros, was launched, which was written for the Affiliation of Mother and father and Pals of Coronary heart Diseased Youngsters, whereas the works proceed to be introduced in live shows – tributes to the Cypriot creator.
October 24, 2016 is marked by the institution of the non-profit group “Stelios Pissis Music Basis”, with the live performance beneath the title “With the orchestra of my eyes” and the participation of well-known artists, similar to Giorgos Dalaras. The group goals to help our fellow human beings by means of musical actions, such because the Xmas Music Love Tour, throughout which well-known artists journey by bus through the Christmas season, conveying the therapeutic energy of music.
In his day by day life, as his mom describes to us, Stelios learn and labored lengthy hours, composing his creations, with the final actions that his sickness allowed his fingers, which operated the pc mouse.
When he misplaced all motion of his hand, the “EyeHarp” software program, developed by the Greek professor Zacharias Vamvakousis, got here into his life, permitting him to compose along with his eyes whereas listening to the sound of music.
“We might hear his songs being born, the home was stuffed with music, whereas the opposite facet, religion in God, shocked us”, experiences Aglaia Pisi, and notes that, as a really spiritual individual, Stelios maintained a religious program and he needed to do his morning prayer, supplication and alms.
His deep religion in God, he notes, didn’t permit him to be overcome by disappointment, because the dying of his father, Cleitos Pisi, on June 3, 2024, a day earlier than the deliberate naming ceremony of the “Stelios Pisi” park on Chalkidonos Road, a number of meters from his home.
Telling his mom that he has little question that his father, who for 40 years has “untouchably lifted my cross”, shall be in heaven, Stelios watched the funeral procession dwell.
The naming ceremony of the “Stelios Pisis” park was lastly held on June 25, by the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulidis, who referred to Stelios as “a proficient composer, a really delicate soul, who stubbornly refuses to undergo the 'imprisoned', from the muscular dystrophy physique, and day by day flies freely and proudly on the open avenues of spirit and creation.'
Recently, Stelios Pisis has been composing the soundtrack for a world movie, after being contacted by an American producer. In keeping with his mom, the primary orchestral piece, in addition to two extra that he accomplished, shall be accessible to the manufacturing if he needs.
An oxymoron, however a actuality for Mrs. Aglaia, the truth that “we by no means skilled distress or felt sad”. Quite the opposite, he provides “we lived very fortunately, blessedly and proudly”.
The “magical room” of Stelios, as his mom describes it, will stay intact, because the proficient creator left it within the early hours of September 20, and can now represent, for the household, “a spot of peace, the place we’ll bear in mind him by praying in God”.
In spite of everything, on this room, as Stelios himself talked about, “after I write music, I really feel the partitions of the room collapse and my desires unfold out into infinity. I really feel like flying to worlds outdoors the bodily world, being near God and praising him with the angels.”
Supply: KYPE
