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Leon Rigidis

Amateur musician, Anthem composer
He is the composer of the well-known march Greece Never Dies (I Ellada pote den pethainei), which was originally heard during the first postwar era and was for long time a Greek Radio signal. He worked as an accountant in Nafplio, at doctor Sofroni’s private clinic. He wrote popular marches, such as: Greece will come (Tharth’ I Ellada), Dodecanese, Icarus, Aviation Anthem, the pastoral signal of the Armed Forces Radio Station, the Nafplio Anthem and the song-march Hail Nafplio Sweet Home (Chaire Anapli patrida glykeia, 1955), orchestrated by V. Charalambis. His compositions include the tango The Nafplio Eyes (T’anpliotika matia) and the works Glorified Greece (Ellada doxasmeni) and For a new Greece (Gia mia kainoyrgia Ellada, 1945). He also wrote the lyrics for several of the above works. He worked with the GNO in 1952, when his march For a new Greece was played during an anniversary concert to celebrate the National Day of October 28.