On the somber anniversary of July 20, a new, deeply moving song titled “The Mother of the Missing” is officially released. It is a tribute to memory, written entirely in the Cypriot dialect, which sheds light on the endless ordeal and the silent wait of the mothers of Cyprus who have been waiting for their children since 1974.

Watch the moving song:

The music and lyrics are by Christos Ppasis. The song was written in December 2017. It was inspired by the identification of the missing persons in Xylotymbou and the image of the remains being returned in small boxes, combined with the artist’s personal trauma regarding his father’s village, Assia, which has the highest number of missing persons—including one of his cousins. Through a story that is fictional yet at the same time utterly true, the song describes the pain of a mother who thinks she sees her son’s face in that of a stranger on the street.The music video, which brings the heavy emotion of the lyrics to life through imagery, was directed by Nikos Tamassios and produced by the Polytropon Moving Images team. Part of the filming took place at the Holy Monastery of Saint Marina and Saint Raphael in Xylotymbou, lending the final result the necessary spiritual depth.

This project was made possible thanks to the invaluable and generous contributions of people who believed in the creator’s vision.

Contributors & Sponsors:

• Music / Lyrics: Christos Ppasis
• Lyrics Editor: Dimitris Iliakos
• Arrangement, Acoustic Guitars, Electric Bass, Recording, Mixing, Mastering: Konstantinos Konstantis
• Piano: Nikolas Mavresis
• Video Direction: Nikos Tamassios (Polytropon Moving Images)
• Cast: Giota Christofi (Mother), Andreas Papageorgiou (Soldier – Missing), Christos Ppasis

Sponsors:

• Audio Production Funding: Pavlos Evangelidis
• Video Production Sponsors:
  • George Georgiou
  • Stelios Papageorgiou (S. D. Papageorgiou Developments)
  • Andros Skaris (Andros Skaris Jeweler)
• Special Thanks: To Archpriest Kyriakos Panagiotou for granting permission to film at the Holy Monastery of Agia Marina and Agios Raphael in Xylotymbou.

The song and video are available on YouTube, serving as a small tribute to those who have never been forgotten.