A Greek tragedy.

I’m not talking about the victory of the anti-auterity Syriza party in the Greek elections yesterday. I don’t know whether this stunning result will turn out to be a triumph or a tragedy for Greece. No, I’m talking about the death, on the same day, of Demis Roussos. His records were terrible, his kaftans even worse but in Britain, we loved him. He was a gift to 1970s impressionists with his kitsch combination girth, beard and high-pitched voice. Likeable and homely yet foreign and exotic, he reminded many Britons of their first package holidays to Corfu and Crete. With regard to Syrizia, it’s often said that Greece cannot repay the billions it owes because it has little that other countries want to buy. We bought millions of Demis Roussos records. The tragedy is, Greece didn’t produce more exports like Demis.