Honorary Award by the Committee of Occupied Municipalities, the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, and the Municipality of Kyrenia

The internationally renowned Cypriot composer Marios Joannou Elia, residing in Paphos, was honored by the Committee of Occupied Municipalities, the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, and the Municipality of Kyrenia, «as a token of deep appreciation for his invaluable contribution to Culture».

The award ceremony took place at the Municipal Cultural Center «Panos Solomonides» in Limassol, in the presence of representatives of the state and local government, with Deputy Minister of Culture Lina Kassianidou and the Mayor of Kyrenia Akis Violari presenting the distinction last week.

«It was a moment of deep emotion and high symbolism – an honor that transcends the individual and reflects the memory and vision of a homeland that continues to breathe through its Culture», said the composer in «P».

In his response, Elia noted that the award filled him with profound emotion and gratitude. He does not experience it merely as an honorary distinction, but as a moral mission to transmit, through art, the light of Culture from a homeland that remains under occupation, yet not in oblivion; and at the same time, the responsibility to represent the spirit of History and its cultural continuity.

Throughout his musical journey, the memory of Cyprus has been a constant compass; an inner flame continuously transformed into creation, as he explained. He added that in the oratorio «Weeping Madonnas», dedicated to the mothers of the missing, the Virgin Mary is juxtaposed with the universal figure of motherhood — as a symbol of pain, patience, and unspoken hope.

In the oratorio «The Bells Will Ring Again», the Passion and Resurrection of Christ intertwine with Cyprus’s enduring Golgotha, in a musical drama that anticipates the Resurrection and the liberation of our homeland.

The work «Aima» (Blood), inspired by the distich of July 9 — «Το ’νιν αντάν να τρώ’ την γην…» — draws its power, he said, from a collective memory of martyrdom and the timeless irony of power that self-destructs. It constitutes a spiritual symbol and a march of resistance.

His music does not serve oblivion. It resists, gives meaning, recalls, and reconstructs. As a living act, it resurrects. It claims truth and freedom; it transforms nostalgia into creative action and memory into artistic expression. It is a work that transfigures the past into the present, asserting belonging, he added. He further emphasized that his artistic path is imbued with steadfast dedication to values that ground human existence and accompany every genuine expression: respect for freedom, democracy, ethics, and the universal, inalienable rights of humanity.

He also expressed his warm gratitude to the Committee of Occupied Municipalities, the Union of Cyprus Municipalities, and the Municipality of Kyrenia for the honor. He stressed that this moment «carries a profound symbolism: the unbreakable bond with Kyrenia. For Kyrenia, like all our occupied lands, is not only soil and name — it is a pulse beating within us. There are places that, even if silent in daily life, continue to speak deep within us; as rhythm, as breath, as indestructible belonging. Where politics often becomes trapped in the temporary, Culture opens profound paths — toward justice, continuity, and ultimately, return».

As highlighted during the event, Elia hails from Kyrenia. He has been described by CNN as «the wonder child of contemporary music» and «the man of monumental events», while his work has been internationally recognized for its innovative character and its deep connection to the collective experience.

This distinction affirms his long-standing, multidimensional career in the field of artistic creation and his substantial contribution to the cultural representation of Cyprus worldwide.

It is noted that on July 6 a special tribute and award ceremony will also be held for Marios Joannou Elia at the Cultural Center of «Agios Ioannis Lampadistis» in Kalopanayiotis.