Maria Klara Machairitsa has spoken about her relationship with her late father Lavrentis Machairitsas to mark seven years since the Greek singer passed away on September 9.
Speaking during an appearance on the Greek television talk show Studio 4, she recalled moments from their shared life and reflected on what she was able to express to him before his death.
She said she managed to tell her father that she loved him and that they had expressed their love for each other often, but she did not manage to say thank you to him.
She noted that the only time she might have thanked him was in a card she wrote for his last name day, in which she wrote that she was thankful to be his daughter.
She explained that managing his artistic work, speaking publicly about him, and attending concerts had become too painful for her to continue. She added that continuing to speak about him publicly served as her current way of expressing her gratitude to him.
Father and daughter relationship
Describing their bond, she said they shared a beautiful father and daughter relationship. She recalled that he called her affectionate nicknames including Maraki, my star, and my doll.
She described her father as a very tender and expressive parent who showed his feelings openly to everyone without fear of being misunderstood.
She added that he was not grumpy, jealous, possessive, or competitive. She noted that his lack of competitiveness was a particularly great virtue within the music industry.
Personal quirks and character
She also reflected on her father's quirks, describing him as someone who was constantly absent-minded, which she found very annoying while living together at home.
She recalled his relaxed nature during family trips to Italy, where he would stop the car in the middle of the road to get out and photograph something that caught his eye, even though others might judge such actions negatively.
She noted that he was very loud and could say harsh words when he became angry. However, she said he would feel guilty for a week afterwards, deeply regret his temper, and always admit his mistakes and apologize because he was unpretentious.
Musical legacy and tributes
Lavrentis Machairitsas was a prominent Greek rock singer, songwriter, and composer. He began his career working in a record company warehouse before co-founding the influential Greek rock group Termites in the 1980s and becoming a major figure in Greek music with songs such as Didymoteicho Blues.
Fellow Greek singer Giannis Kotsiras paid tribute to Machairitsas on the seventh anniversary of his passing, writing in a public message that he was remembering seven years without his friend's laughter.
