Denny Vachlioti talks about Melina and “Never on Sunday” to Iason Triantafyllides

I met Denny Vachlioti by quite an unexpected coincidence. We worked together for the theatrical performance “Xeirokrotimata / Applause”. Both Apostolos Doxiadis who was the producer and Minos Volonakis who was the director, proposed that I undertake the music selection for the performance. Volonakis requested that I use the songs by Cole Porter which were recorded from 1928 till 1933. Denny designed incredible costumes for the performance; each of these deserved a place in a museum. Our friendship flourished while she was listening to these songs of an era gone by with enthusiasm and we remained friends until the end of her life. Due to the fact that she spoke German as well as she spoke Greek, I often made her sing songs of that time, like the Bel Ami which she also translated for me. We also did radio broadcasts together and I used to visit her at her house in Alopekis street, as Denny knew how to tell wonderful stories of times gone by. Everything used to start and end with the name Melina Mercouri.