June 1944. The steamer Tanais is attacked by a British submarine and sinks in the Aegean waters near Santorini.
In the ship's hold was 99% of the
small Jewish Community of Crete
captured by the Nazis.
This was the end of the Jewish
presence in Crete. Very few Cretan
Jews survived . They left the island
before 1944 or they escaped at the
last minute hiding from the Germans.
At the time Cretan poet, Iossif Ventura, was only 6 years old . He has been one of the few members of the Jewish community of Crete that survived the German persecution, mainly thanks to risky actions by Christian families. He recorded his poetic memories, experiences and feelings in his elegy, "Tanais".
The composer and writer, Marielli Sfakianaki, daughter of the important Cretan musician, Konstantinos Sfakianakis, turned the wreck of "Tanais" and Ventura's poetry into music creating a deep breath.
Spring 2023: the project "Tanais", under the artistic supervision of the composer and with the participation of a multitude of outstanding artists,released by Subways Music on all major music platforms, as well as on a limited number of collector's discs (CDs).
Soloists: Kiki Morfoniou: mezzo-soprano Victoria Manolidou: soprano Katerina Roussou: mezzo-soprano Antonis Koronaios: tenor Joseph Venturas: herald
