Thessaloniki (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη [θesaloˈnici] ( listen)), also known as Thessalonica ( /ˌθɛsəlɵˈnaɪkə/) and historically known as Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace. Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévusa), literally "co-capital", and stands as a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa), "co-reigning" city of the Byzantine Empire, alongside Constantinople.

According to the 2011 census the municipality of Thessaloniki today has a population of 322,240, while the Thessaloniki Urban Area (the contiguous built up area forming the "City of Thessaloniki") has a population of 790,824; making it the fifth largest and most populated city in the Balkans and the second most populated city that is not a capital. Furthermore, the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area extends over an area of 1,455.62 km² (562.02 sq mi) and its population in 2011 reached a total of 1,006,730 inhabitants.

Dimitris Mitropanos (Greek: Δημήτρης Μητροπάνος) (2 April 1948 – 17 April 2012) was a Greek singer. He was renowned for his mastery of Laïkó, a Greek music style.

Mitropanos lived in his native city of Trikala in northwest Thessaly until the age of 16, beginning his musical career in 1964.

He worked with some of the best known Greek composers, such as Mikis Theodorakis,Stavros Xarhakos, Giorgos Zabetas , Manos Hadjidakis, Marios Tokas and Thanos Mikroutsikos, and was one of the top performers of Greek popular music for over four decades.

From an early age Mitropanos worked summers to help his family financially. First as a waiter in his uncle's restaurant and later at ribbon cutting wood. After the third grade of junior high, in 1964, he went to Athens to live with his uncle in the Acharnon street. Before finishing high school he began working as a singer.

At the same age, after the encouragement of Grigoris Bithikotsis, whom he met at a gathering at his uncle's company at which he sang, Mitropanos visited Columbia. There, Takis Lampropoulos introduced him το Giorgos Zampetas, with whom he worked alongside at "Ksimeromata." Mitropanos considered Giorgos Zampetas to be a great teacher and a second father to himself. As he stated, ' Zambetas is the only man in the song which helped me not to expect anything. With all my other colleagues got something and gave something» . In 1966 Mitropanos met Mikis Theodorakis and sang the party songs "Romiosini "and" Axion Esti "in a series of concerts in Greece and Cyprus.