The mother of Greek singer Giorgos Mazonakis broke down crying "my child" as his coffin arrived at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Nikaia on Sunday, where a public wake was held for the singer.
The coffin reached the church shortly after 8pm, arriving through a crowd that had gathered since early afternoon to pay their respects.
Witnesses described the moment as deeply emotional. The singer's mother, visibly devastated, held her face in her hands as she cried out in grief. His two sisters, Maria and Vaso, followed the coffin, also overcome with emotion.
Fans queue with white roses
Outside the church, hundreds of people waited in line to pay tribute to Mazonakis. Fans of all ages arrived in Nikaia carrying white roses, and several brought handwritten cardboard signs, including messages reading "thank you."
The emotion remained intense throughout the wait. Some of those gathered cried, others applauded, and many sang along to Mazonakis's best-known songs.
Among the songs heard outside the church were "I Want to Go Back to the Old Days" and "I'm Leaving for Myself, to Feel Good," with crowds singing along and applauding.
A homecoming in Nikaia
The choice of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Nikaia for the wake carried particular symbolism, as it is the area where Mazonakis grew up and where he was connected from the earliest years of his life and his career as an artist.
From early Sunday afternoon, 13 September, the flow of mourners was constant, with the queue growing as the hours passed. Friends, collaborators and fans wanted to be at the Church of the Holy Trinity to say goodbye to a singer whose voice and songs left their mark on contemporary Greek laiko music.
Funeral set for Monday
The public wake was continuing at the church, with the funeral service due to take place on Monday.
The scenes from Nikaia reflected the heavy atmosphere surrounding both Mazonakis's family and the people who gathered there to say a final goodbye.
