The man who gave Zorba the music to dance, Mikis Theodorakis, has died. He was 96.

Known for his music throughout the world, as well as his anti-dictatorship activism, Theodorakis was a beloved force in Greece.

His rich and prolific body of work has defined the Greek music scene for almost a century.

In addition to the music for Zorba the Greek, the 1964 Hollywood film that made Greece a household name throughout the world, his music has been performed by groups like the Beatles and the world’s top symphonies.

Greek media broke from regular programming to report the news.

He was active during the resistance movement against the Nazi occupation in Greece and eventually would become an icon amongst leftists and their anti-facist cause in Greece.

He famously said once that freedom in Greece was his religion.

Much of his music included pain from his own experiences in exile on the island of Macronissos, where he was tortured for his political views.