The White Rose Of Athens Song Lyrics And Guitar Chords
Recorded by Nana Mouskouri in 1974. Chords by Bob Sharpe. There are several different version here that use different keys for the song. All were sent to the site by Bob. The tin whistle sheet music is included. The song was also covered by Irish singer Daniel O'Donnell who has many songs with guitar chords in the Irish country songs section of the site.The white rose of Athens guitar tab now added.
The White Rose of Athens is a song that has captivated audiences for over six decades. Written by the Greek composer Manos Hatzidakis in 1961, it quickly became a worldwide sensation, being translated into several languages and covered by numerous artists. The song has a timeless quality that continues to resonate with listeners, and its popularity has endured through the years.
The lyrics of The White Rose of Athens tell the story of a young woman who is compared to the beauty and purity of a white rose. She is portrayed as a symbol of hope and resilience, standing strong in the face of hardship and adversity. The rose is a recurring motif in the song, representing love, beauty, and the enduring spirit of the Greek people.
The song is often interpreted as a tribute to the city of Athens, known as the 'cradle of Western civilization.' Its rich history and cultural heritage have inspired countless artists, writers, and musicians, and The White Rose of Athens is no exception. Hatzidakis himself was born and raised in Athens, and his love for the city is evident in the lyrics and melody of the song.
Moreover, The White Rose of Athens holds a special significance in the context of Greek history. In the early 1960s, Greece was going through a period of political turmoil and economic hardship. The country had just emerged from a devastating civil war and was struggling to rebuild itself. Against this backdrop, the song's message of hope and resilience struck a chord with the Greek people, who found solace and inspiration in its lyrics.
The song's popularity was not limited to Greece, however. It quickly gained international acclaim, thanks to its beautiful melody and universal message. It was translated into several languages, including English, French, German, and Spanish, and recorded by renowned artists such as Nana Mouskouri, Dalida, and Julio Iglesias. The White Rose of Athens became a global phenomenon, reaching audiences far beyond the borders of Greece.
One of the reasons for the song's enduring popularity is its ability to evoke strong emotions in listeners. The melody is hauntingly beautiful, and the lyrics are poetic and evocative. The use of the rose as a symbol adds a layer of depth and meaning to the song, making it relatable to people from different cultures and backgrounds. It is a testament to the power of music to transcend language and cultural barriers and connect people on a deeper level.
Furthermore, The White Rose of Athens has become an integral part of Greek culture and identity. It is often played at national events and celebrations, and its lyrics are taught in schools. The song has also been featured in several movies and TV shows, further cementing its place in popular culture.
In conclusion, The White Rose of Athens is not just a song; it is a cultural phenomenon that has stood the test of time. Its timeless message of hope, resilience, and love continues to inspire and touch hearts around the world. As long as there are people who appreciate beauty, love, and the enduring spirit of the human soul, The White Rose of Athens will continue to enchant and captivate audiences for generations to come.
The lyrics of The White Rose of Athens tell the story of a young woman who is compared to the beauty and purity of a white rose. She is portrayed as a symbol of hope and resilience, standing strong in the face of hardship and adversity. The rose is a recurring motif in the song, representing love, beauty, and the enduring spirit of the Greek people.
The song is often interpreted as a tribute to the city of Athens, known as the 'cradle of Western civilization.' Its rich history and cultural heritage have inspired countless artists, writers, and musicians, and The White Rose of Athens is no exception. Hatzidakis himself was born and raised in Athens, and his love for the city is evident in the lyrics and melody of the song.
Moreover, The White Rose of Athens holds a special significance in the context of Greek history. In the early 1960s, Greece was going through a period of political turmoil and economic hardship. The country had just emerged from a devastating civil war and was struggling to rebuild itself. Against this backdrop, the song's message of hope and resilience struck a chord with the Greek people, who found solace and inspiration in its lyrics.
The song's popularity was not limited to Greece, however. It quickly gained international acclaim, thanks to its beautiful melody and universal message. It was translated into several languages, including English, French, German, and Spanish, and recorded by renowned artists such as Nana Mouskouri, Dalida, and Julio Iglesias. The White Rose of Athens became a global phenomenon, reaching audiences far beyond the borders of Greece.
One of the reasons for the song's enduring popularity is its ability to evoke strong emotions in listeners. The melody is hauntingly beautiful, and the lyrics are poetic and evocative. The use of the rose as a symbol adds a layer of depth and meaning to the song, making it relatable to people from different cultures and backgrounds. It is a testament to the power of music to transcend language and cultural barriers and connect people on a deeper level.
Furthermore, The White Rose of Athens has become an integral part of Greek culture and identity. It is often played at national events and celebrations, and its lyrics are taught in schools. The song has also been featured in several movies and TV shows, further cementing its place in popular culture.
In conclusion, The White Rose of Athens is not just a song; it is a cultural phenomenon that has stood the test of time. Its timeless message of hope, resilience, and love continues to inspire and touch hearts around the world. As long as there are people who appreciate beauty, love, and the enduring spirit of the human soul, The White Rose of Athens will continue to enchant and captivate audiences for generations to come.
So [C] goodbye my love till [G] then
Till the white rose blooms [C] again
The [C]summer days - are end [G7] ing in the [C] valley
And soon the [G7] time will come When we must be [C] apart
Now you must start -
You journ[G7]ey to the [C] city
And leave me [G7] till Another spring-time comes [C] around
.
CHORUS
Till the white rose blooms [G] again
You must leave me, [F] leave me [G] lon -[C]- ely
So goodbye my love till [G] then
Till the white rose blooms [C] again
REPEAT CHORUS
The autumn leaves - are fall[G7]ing in the [C] valley
And soon the [G7] winter snow Will lie upon the [C] ground
But like the rose That comes [G7] back with the [C] springtime
You will re[G7]turn to me When springtime comes [C] around
CHORUS.
Good [G] bye [F] till [C] then
Good [G] bye [F] till [C] then.
Till the white rose blooms [C] again
The [C]summer days - are end [G7] ing in the [C] valley
And soon the [G7] time will come When we must be [C] apart
Now you must start -
You journ[G7]ey to the [C] city
And leave me [G7] till Another spring-time comes [C] around
.
CHORUS
Till the white rose blooms [G] again
You must leave me, [F] leave me [G] lon -[C]- ely
So goodbye my love till [G] then
Till the white rose blooms [C] again
REPEAT CHORUS
The autumn leaves - are fall[G7]ing in the [C] valley
And soon the [G7] winter snow Will lie upon the [C] ground
But like the rose That comes [G7] back with the [C] springtime
You will re[G7]turn to me When springtime comes [C] around
CHORUS.
Good [G] bye [F] till [C] then
Good [G] bye [F] till [C] then.
So [C] goodbye my love till [G] then
Till the [Em] white rose [G] blooms [C] again
The [Dm] summer [C] days Are ending [F] in the [C] valley
And soon the [G] time will come When we must be [C] apart
[Dm] Now [Em] you [F] must [C] start
You journ -[G]- ey to the [C] city
And leave me [G] till Another spring-time comes [C] around
.
CHORUS
[C] Till the white rose blooms [G] again
You must [Em] leave [G] me, [F] leave [C] me [G] lon -[C]- ely
So goodbye my love till [G] then
Till the [Em] white rose [G] blooms [C] again
The [Dm] autumn [C] leaves Are falling [F] in the [C] valley
And soon the [G] winter snow Will lie upon the [C] ground
[Dm] But [Em] like [F] the [C] rose That comes back [G] in the [C] springtime
You will re -[G]- turn to me When springtime comes [C] around
.
CHORUS.
.
Good -[G]- bye [F] till [C] then
Good -[G]- bye [F] till [C] then
Till the [Em] white rose [G] blooms [C] again
The [Dm] summer [C] days Are ending [F] in the [C] valley
And soon the [G] time will come When we must be [C] apart
[Dm] Now [Em] you [F] must [C] start
You journ -[G]- ey to the [C] city
And leave me [G] till Another spring-time comes [C] around
.
CHORUS
[C] Till the white rose blooms [G] again
You must [Em] leave [G] me, [F] leave [C] me [G] lon -[C]- ely
So goodbye my love till [G] then
Till the [Em] white rose [G] blooms [C] again
The [Dm] autumn [C] leaves Are falling [F] in the [C] valley
And soon the [G] winter snow Will lie upon the [C] ground
[Dm] But [Em] like [F] the [C] rose That comes back [G] in the [C] springtime
You will re -[G]- turn to me When springtime comes [C] around
.
CHORUS.
.
Good -[G]- bye [F] till [C] then
Good -[G]- bye [F] till [C] then
Key Of D Major
So [D] goodbye my love till [A] then
Till the white rose blooms [D] again
The [D]summer days - are end [A7] ing in the [D] valley
And soon the [A7] time will come When we must be [D] apart
Now you must start -
You journ[A7]ey to the [D] city
And leave me [A7] till Another spring-time comes [D] around
.
CHORUS
Till the white rose blooms [A] again
You must leave me, [G] leave me [A] lon -[D]- ely
So goodbye my love till [A] then
Till the white rose blooms [D] again
REPEAT CHORUS
The autumn leaves - are fall[A7]ing in the [D] valley
And soon the [A7] winter snow Will lie upon the [D] ground
But like the rose That comes [A7] back with the [D] springtime
You will re[A7]turn to me When springtime comes [D] around
CHORUS.
Good [A] bye [G] till [D] then
Good [A] bye [G] till [D] then.
Key of G
So [G] goodbye my love till [D] then
Till the white rose blooms [G] again
The [G]summer days - are end [D7] ing in the [G] valley
And soon the [D7] time will come When we must be [G] apart
Now you must start -
You journ[D7]ey to the [G] city
And leave me [D7] till Another spring-time comes [G] around
CHORUS
Till the white rose blooms [D] again
You must leave me, [C] leave me [D] lon -[G]- ely
So goodbye my love till [D] then
Till the white rose blooms [G] again
REPEAT CHORUS
The autumn leaves - are fall[D7]ing in the [G] valley
And soon the [D7] winter snow Will lie upon the [G] ground
But like the rose That comes [D7] back with the [G] springtime
You will re[D7]turn to me When springtime comes [G] around
CHORUS.
Good [D] bye [C] till [G] then
Good [D] bye [C] till [G] then
So [D] goodbye my love till [A] then
Till the white rose blooms [D] again
The [D]summer days - are end [A7] ing in the [D] valley
And soon the [A7] time will come When we must be [D] apart
Now you must start -
You journ[A7]ey to the [D] city
And leave me [A7] till Another spring-time comes [D] around
.
CHORUS
Till the white rose blooms [A] again
You must leave me, [G] leave me [A] lon -[D]- ely
So goodbye my love till [A] then
Till the white rose blooms [D] again
REPEAT CHORUS
The autumn leaves - are fall[A7]ing in the [D] valley
And soon the [A7] winter snow Will lie upon the [D] ground
But like the rose That comes [A7] back with the [D] springtime
You will re[A7]turn to me When springtime comes [D] around
CHORUS.
Good [A] bye [G] till [D] then
Good [A] bye [G] till [D] then.
Key of G
So [G] goodbye my love till [D] then
Till the white rose blooms [G] again
The [G]summer days - are end [D7] ing in the [G] valley
And soon the [D7] time will come When we must be [G] apart
Now you must start -
You journ[D7]ey to the [G] city
And leave me [D7] till Another spring-time comes [G] around
CHORUS
Till the white rose blooms [D] again
You must leave me, [C] leave me [D] lon -[G]- ely
So goodbye my love till [D] then
Till the white rose blooms [G] again
REPEAT CHORUS
The autumn leaves - are fall[D7]ing in the [G] valley
And soon the [D7] winter snow Will lie upon the [G] ground
But like the rose That comes [D7] back with the [G] springtime
You will re[D7]turn to me When springtime comes [G] around
CHORUS.
Good [D] bye [C] till [G] then
Good [D] bye [C] till [G] then
"The White Rose of Athens" is a beautiful and nostalgic song that evokes imagery of Greek beauty, culture, and romance. It was written by the famous Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis in 1960 and became popular in Greece and internationally. The song has been performed by many artists, and it is most famously known in the English-speaking world through versions by artists like Dalida.
Meaning and Themes:
Legacy and Popularity:
Meaning and Themes:
- Romantic Love: The primary theme of "The White Rose of Athens" is love, specifically an idealized, poetic love. The song is sung from the perspective of someone who adores a beautiful woman, symbolized by the white rose. The "white rose" is often used as a symbol of purity and innocence, suggesting that the woman is both graceful and untouched by the struggles of the world.
- The Symbolism of the Rose: The white rose is an important symbol throughout the song. In many cultures, the white rose signifies purity, new beginnings, and love that is gentle and untainted. In the context of the song, it seems to represent a perfect, almost unattainable love, reinforcing the idea that the narrator holds the woman in the highest regard.
- Athens and Greek Heritage: The song is set in Athens, the capital of Greece, which is not only a city rich in history and culture but also a symbol of ancient ideals like beauty, love, and philosophy. Athens becomes the backdrop for the story, evoking a romantic connection to Greek history and the allure of its landscapes.
- Nostalgia and Longing: The lyrics also convey a sense of longing. The narrator seems to express a deep desire for the white rose, but there's a certain melancholy in the tone, as though the love is out of reach. This adds a layer of nostalgia and yearning, as if the song represents a love that may have been lost or is just beyond the narrator’s grasp.
Legacy and Popularity:
- "The White Rose of Athens" has been performed by various artists across the world, making it a popular piece in both Greek and international music circles.
- The song remains a symbol of Greek romanticism and is often linked to Greece's rich cultural traditions.
Below is the tin whistle sheet music in the key of G Major
The white rose of Athens solfege piano sheet music letter notes and chords
The white rose of Athens guitar tab
Extracts from interviews with Nana Mouskouri
At 80th birthday by taking a new show on tour which features her favorite 22 songs all song song in an astonishing 6 languages she's a multilingual megastar please welcome Nana Mouskouri we are not fluttering after you don't look a day older than you used to you look just a picture in the Arctic that
ages it's huge stays the same well I don't think I mean IH like everybody but the problem is that I just I'm just devoted in what I do it gives me energy and I love tonight I believe that it is normal everybody when you are born then you start to grow up and one day this is justice even if it's not know it's normal it's actually worked on saying these are my medals love that people have given me that's chose well Dorset shows that's why you want to come back and today because you
said you're retiring in 2008 she was serious yeah what would you have well I had learned on my life to sing and just I love that and I was Lonesome I tried to do other things that it is it is possible to do other things that I was so sad I had to accept that at the end I was trying to find a reason to come back because when you say something you should keep on with it you should be found a very good reason because when I came all the borders of my 80th year I said I'm not going to sit at home and
and cry and just being all alone I'm a celebrated with the audience if they want to listen to me and so we did a record we did a DVD which we prepared together and I will do a few concerts including the yes yes it's a wonderful house and then we go also to ranches so we go to Ireland we go to Glasgow that you've sold more records I think it is an Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra combined as a huge amount about them well I think no no but they have sold maybe more than me but my
problem was that I was singing in many languages that's the way to do but I must say something which is really wonderful for me I wanted to learn languages it was for me a way to learn about cultures being friends with people exchange the feelings and all those things so the languages helped me because I was learning material from some of the country I was traditional songs pop song with anything classical songs because I started classical music and then as I really worked with
wonderful people like Quincy Jones like higher but I found like surely God all this helped me to record to several things to learn about other music other styles of music and I think I think I was renewed every time you had a brief spell as a politician oh yeah in Greece it was a brief spell yes it was because they asked me to do to do it I was not really keen about going to the Parliament because I do believe in Europe it's not that I had no idea about politics it's an it's another
politicians it's it's Richie like we say of it song you have to have a state of mind to become politician why we artists we have our beliefs but we are voted every night next at every night you have to be sincere you have to be accepted and also we give hope they give solutions so that's the difference I couldn't give solutions right in back did it make you feel though being a politician well I was really enthusiastic because I thought I would do a lot of good to my country and I
knew a lot of people there because there were many countries that I know already by touring I thought really I was losing my heart and I didn't have any emotions anymore so politics trained you of a man yes yes I mean we need really humanity the world can go on we have to keep humanity if not with your daughters well now which is yes yes my daughter and that is really my prize because they're not anybody can have his daughter next to me I miss them a lot when they were young because I was working a lot but
they have traveled with me doing what I was doing constant with the nanny all together now just taking possible yes yes and you know when I was I was younger I was listening to all the other artists older artists that I learned a lot then growing up I started to listen to the younger generations and now with my daughter she's next to me I'm learning from her and I think she's learning also weak change it's a wonderful story the happy birthday to London's Royal Albert Hall on the 25th
Nana didn't win Eurovision that year but her appearance was a hit with U.K. audiences in a bold move the bbc gave this young greek singer her own television series it ran until the early 1980s this is the way it started and singing
also a few Greek songs but translate a little bit what the song was about and we never thought i mean i never thought that it would be interesting and then we've been for many many years
About the series the series it was opening a very beautiful area from Greece the monuments or treasures that we have so the people wanted to learn about the music and the music also make them know about your country
The success of the series when it started in 1968 Nana Mouskouri series was a big draw on the new highbrow channel
it was a pioneering world music show with European folk pop even jazz [Music] nice [Music] millions of people watching the
television there were only three channels you know it was hugely powerful so if you got on one of the music based shows people would buy your records i think i think that the success of someone like Nana Mouskouri was possibly her
television presence obviously she's beautiful in that kind of harmless you wouldn't be offended if your wife liked her and your wife wouldn't be offended for your husband but you know she's not this sort of you know sexual
um dynamo or doesn't look like one anyway I think he must have had this whole generation he must have looked at pop and thought it's awful look jacket then all of a sudden you got an animal
scurry in a lovely little dress with a combed hair and a clean glasses and a lovely way singing very sweet song so it is it's an escape isn't it it's a slightly Blackpool pleasure beach Walt Disney version of the cultures of the world you know reduced to a series
of national dresses and funny instruments in some ways it's quite liberating it's certainly the first time I heard any international polls same with my nan on a Saturday night.
most people might mark the 18th birthday with a party or perhaps a holiday but the singer Nana Mouskouri has more to celebrate than most she does her career has spanned six decades she's collaborated with Bob Dylan Quincy Jones and Harry Belafonte to name just a few so to mark her birthday she's decided to embark on a year-long worldwide tour delighted to say we'll be talking to Nana in a few minutes first though it's have a look at some of her performances old and new Performances] to me
that was it's damn Interview and Nana Mouskouri is here with us now very good morning - it's lovely to see you good morning you thank you had the invitation oh you were watching those films of you over the years the first one we saw was that was the Eurovision Song that kind of made your name you didn't win it did you no no I was number eight and from that moment really I realized that singing in a language that I didn't know at the time so well I didn't sing very well I think I'd lost the interpretation anyway there was another better song but I mean but I
think it was my lucky day two things that day Harry Belafonte was in London and he was watching television and he saw me with my glasses yes and he went back to to Quincy Jones and he said do you know a French girl with glasses he said no stupid is not a French singer it's a it's a it's a it's a Greek singer singing in French but she's Greek and I just did because a year before I did the album with Quincy Jones so I we knew it L so that just was it but the most important was even little with who was the producer of that that show she decided that I could do series with her and we started the series and this series mean for it for about ten years I was I was doing every year the series of ABC - and and they
went everywhere so so in Asia of course Commonwealth and so so that but even that I think I owe to the BBC a lot little bit now you mentioned you mentioned the glasses there yes they weren't a gimmick at the start no no they were was never a gimmick if you want to try I mean my glasses are real I can't see far of course getting older you don't see far and also closer when it became a trademark didn't it because that's what people knew before well it's other things I had my glasses all the time I mean I didn't like them at the beginning when I just started to wear them I was 12 years so and these there is a there was not a lot of progress you know it was so I I didn't like them at all
everybody was laughing at me but at the end I needed to see well and this showed me and also I started to hide myself behind the glasses somehow and I believed that what is important it's not it's not really how you look but it is what you can give well and everybody was listening in to my voice and nothing nothing happened before until the day that they told me you have to get wet I had the success I had to get rid of my glasses and he says and I didn't I didn't accept that so I said no I go on with my glasses well you did alright because I mean in case people don't know you you you are the highest selling female artist of all time globally which is an extraordinary that's what they say that's what they say but I mean you
mentioned the fact that you have this international abuse you speak or can sing in how many languages no I speak five six you speak five but I did like a lot of things we did sing if you go to Korea you sing Korean if you go to Japan using Japanese it's a question of or in China you sing Chinese also a meaning Ireland I sing in Gaelic and you know so because it's easy I think it's a gentle gesture because I like I love folk music so it's just nice gesture to sing to someone who listen to you know Greek and you're whatever you sing and then all of a sudden singing songs of them and it's I love like you remember that so you remember it specifically for that performance but do you remember the language afterwards I mean if I said to
you to sing only love in Korean now is it is it still there no it's just for that moment in time yeah it's from that moment and in fact I have a small paper to read the but it is I did it just like I say I don't remember it but every time I I go I will sing it if I I mean only love I did in five languages this is true which was German Spanish of course English French French super before but but I don't always remember I remember of course a few of the songs sometimes and but I as soon as I go there then I take out my books and I started to to to study and in fact unless it's it's a language that I don't speak and I sing it only then I just learn everything is my heart I don't have prompters Wow only
if I sing of course Korean or Chinese I take a small paper so I can I can imagine is amazing um so most people I don't imagine for the 80th birthday I'm planning to do a big tour but that's what you're doing that's how you want to celebrate it well you know it was a very big question when I became sixty I didn't want anybody to see me so I said to my manager we go somewhere where nobody will see us so he said I can take you to Atlantic City we got it so went to Atlantic City and sent that night and afterwards it was a surprise the fans from all over the world we're there to celebrate your birthday my birthday and I don't know so but I found out so I said afterwards you know I started to think what is what is the best you know
I throw it in in fact after that I did when I was 70 I did also sing but I think between Germany then in Greece and then we had a party now it's a different one and you know I remembered Liberace when I was I was always very shy and so when I was in America Liberace liked me very much so one day we were doing a show and then if you I was trembling like that he said what are you afraid like this I mean it's not the first time you go onstage I mean and I said well it's always like this and he said darling the first 80 years are the most difficult and I say he told me this ad is like that I have to go on stage I really had to go I mean seven years ago I decided to go of yes I think I was right because I continued for over
fifty years going from one tour to the other and at the end I didn't also underst no I know what what happened to me but it was so so so wonderful and we what happened it's like a dream to be like this so they say I have to celebrate not everybody is lucky enough to be a team really and be able to sing so I say we wish you happy birthday remember that the first 80 years yes are difficult on that phone naina thank you so much begins later this month yes some lovely sunshine yesterday it's September I love this month how's it gonna continue Alex morning good
the two of you have had these wonderful enduring memories and careers what what is it what is that common denominator that has given you I think we lived in a time that everybody was optimistic they were trying to build we were trying to build something and we I mean I think so we we loved what we were doing I wanted to sing I didn't want to be anything else but a singer and and loved it and tried to do it the best way give my heart in it and I always see that until today I just learn I am curious I'm learning more and more every day we have such I agree with every word she says I mean it's really it's their curiosity that that drives you and it's the the will to to give yourself and to do that nothing else I mean I don't want to do anything else I want to be an actor and to entertain people and to give them a good time and to be able to sing to them and I don't want to be a politician I don't want to be anything else that's what I want to be exactly and every day we play on stage it's another day it's never the
same when there is it's a new day and you learn something more and we are different on stage and you receive also directly you know you lose you lose you're very good but when the world is so focused on a youth culture you to just sort of stand up as icons for what is achieved and there are so many people who get to a point and feel relegated to a background you know just I'm interested in that point of difference that you can create and give others the will and the drive yes well okay but without the seats that when I was younger I started I listen to the older people that were singing the preview said well I learned a lot from them and so I try to do my best for what I had with me what I had to give I tried to give it in the best way by learning today I learned from the young people also sometimes the things I shouldn't do I learned from the young people and this is what I think what what what keeps us going it's the interest in which we love is it well I mean I'll go I'll take a
different angle I'm not that I disagree but I'll just bring a different angle that I mean when I did fiddler first I was thirty years old and I had to play an older man which I then said well he should be 50 or 55 which seemed to be very very old and I had to learn how to close muscles and how to give their posture their silhouette the right silhouette for the part and so on and so forth now it's much easier for me to play the part and I don't have to pay attention to those trivial things that I did and I feel it I'm much freer now to play the part and to play the emotions and to play and I'm very experienced with what does it mean to to to give your daughter to another men who comes along when at that time I had to imagine what it meant I had the daughter at four years old and I had said yes when when I sing then do you love me after and my wife answers after 25 years you ask me if I love you and I thought God 25 years people are married 25 years that's a lot isn't it 25 years I mean I've been with the same lady now
for almost 50 years so we're 25 years to youngsters so 30 years you just recently got married yeah the two of you do too in common yes absolutely yes yeah 30 years together yes - what a pleasure it is to have two wonderful international performers of such stature sitting together and enjoying each other's company and and and talents it is it is really wonderful and we appreciate your time thank you very much you're gonna stay with us because I love to have a bit more of a chat with you that's is a little bit more yes I won't be able to join you and when you thank you very get at the Capitol Theater 22nd of September Topol Fiddler on the Roof thank you very much it is such a treasure thank you good morning okay we've got more coming up of course the world will show business Peter Ford will join us from Melbourne but next some of the best looks for the the warm with the warm summer weather ahead stay with us
Wednesday welcome back to mornings Nana Mouskouri is one of the world's biggest selling female recording artists with over more than 350 diamond platinum gold records to her name a phenomenal career especially when you consider Nana was born with only one vocal cord instead of two or so I'm delighted again this morning on warnings to be joined by the Greek songstress herself Nana welcome back thank you very much and could I just say a special thank you for joining in the conversation with topple off the top oh I enjoyed it very much because I had really the chance to meet him in the late sixties seventies in in London and admired him very much it was wonderful to see him again yeah absolutely yes I mentioned in the introduction that you born with one vocal cord perhaps you could explain yeah well is in fact it's not one it's one that functions the right way the other one is thicker I have to like everybody the only thing I have one of the two cords which functions very hardly and so I learned
since I was very young you know I realized that I had the same first problem with a doctor that I had to work how to make my voice sound - normally doesn't vibe decided the same way one is thicker than the other the one vibes normally when you do breathe the other one is thicker and you have to work it out to makes it more more flexible to sound this way I have a husky voice when I speak but when I sing is it's clear so did they cause any difficulties as a child yes it costed that I wasn't always I had a bad throat all the time and they didn't know where it comes from and I had a husky voice and so I couldn't reach the notes that I wanted and when I realized that was a problem then I started to work harder to make it function the right way it's a discipline like the muscles it's a discipline how to work it so many different musical genres that you've covered let alone languages how have you managed to do the various songs in so many different languages well I was singing in Greek but but I I was at the
conservatory studying classical music so I learned about folk music traditional music and also as a young girl I wanted to sing jazz and and you know pop music also rock and roll I was like all youngsters so this made me having different languages but also when I was asked it you know in the early sixties already I invited was invited by Harry Belafonte to perform with him and also Quincy Jones to record with it so I wanted to we need to learn other sounds other languages learn how the cultures it was important for me it was the curiosity there the interest that I have in the music that is not only my Greek music but there are other other styles and also if I wanted to introduce the Greek songs I had to speak a language so that I can introduce my songs so I went in Europe we are all close different languages so I started to learn languages in order to be able to communicate with the people so how many languages are you fluent in six is that too much but I can find my way now but I I speak Greek in French in English a
German Italian and Spanish but I can speak a bit over pizookie is a bit of a Dutch and everything you know little things here very clever now we just heard the magnificent voice of lillius white and I know you were in she was really gorgeous I mean I was impressed to to to listen to her it was wonderful wonderful again a very very different genre of music to what you do heavy have you ever sung rock and roll a little bit when I was younger of course and I was never recorded a real rock so but I said one day I could have you know one day I will find maybe never it's too late so maybe you could go rock and roll song or a Repsol what Rapids I remember I remembered I have a journal de rapping so beautifully you know what every day I don't think I could do it because I'm not so much into you have to be also honest with it you know if you don't do it right it's better not to do it so I don't think Rob but rock yes after the the extraordinary success that you have enjoyed this is your farewell to what
what is it that you will miss the most I think I will miss most the audience and that's only the applause my me the applause is not so much but is this warmth that you feel at the end of a concert you see some people cry some people laugh and this one that you feel inside that you have shared so many emotions with these people and they and then because of them I have been around because if the audience does not like you you don't stay you know you may say that you're the biggest the greatest the audience has to say the final word I think this is because it's love what I receive from the audience and I hope I give as much love they gave me and we all live for love you know so nobody wants to be a part from this but I make sense that this cannot last forever so I wanted to make it consciously to know that this is my last door and when I decide something I am very positive for that but to say thank you again for once more and just let them all so it's like what happens in the audience you know they are also happy to say thank you
very much and goodbye well it is such a rare treat to know somebody with that attitude who really does love their audience and appreciate how much they have given so let's not forget the world fair world tour for nana Mouskouri there are some days from the festival theater in Adelaide - to Melbourne - twin towns to the Convention Center in in Brisbane and you must see one of the most wonderful performers who has given so much over the years and Nana again to meet a star a celebrity of your caliber and to be as generous as you have through our whole program I do appreciate it thank you very very much thank you thank you Nana Mouskouri joining us.
At 80th birthday by taking a new show on tour which features her favorite 22 songs all song song in an astonishing 6 languages she's a multilingual megastar please welcome Nana Mouskouri we are not fluttering after you don't look a day older than you used to you look just a picture in the Arctic that
ages it's huge stays the same well I don't think I mean IH like everybody but the problem is that I just I'm just devoted in what I do it gives me energy and I love tonight I believe that it is normal everybody when you are born then you start to grow up and one day this is justice even if it's not know it's normal it's actually worked on saying these are my medals love that people have given me that's chose well Dorset shows that's why you want to come back and today because you
said you're retiring in 2008 she was serious yeah what would you have well I had learned on my life to sing and just I love that and I was Lonesome I tried to do other things that it is it is possible to do other things that I was so sad I had to accept that at the end I was trying to find a reason to come back because when you say something you should keep on with it you should be found a very good reason because when I came all the borders of my 80th year I said I'm not going to sit at home and
and cry and just being all alone I'm a celebrated with the audience if they want to listen to me and so we did a record we did a DVD which we prepared together and I will do a few concerts including the yes yes it's a wonderful house and then we go also to ranches so we go to Ireland we go to Glasgow that you've sold more records I think it is an Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra combined as a huge amount about them well I think no no but they have sold maybe more than me but my
problem was that I was singing in many languages that's the way to do but I must say something which is really wonderful for me I wanted to learn languages it was for me a way to learn about cultures being friends with people exchange the feelings and all those things so the languages helped me because I was learning material from some of the country I was traditional songs pop song with anything classical songs because I started classical music and then as I really worked with
wonderful people like Quincy Jones like higher but I found like surely God all this helped me to record to several things to learn about other music other styles of music and I think I think I was renewed every time you had a brief spell as a politician oh yeah in Greece it was a brief spell yes it was because they asked me to do to do it I was not really keen about going to the Parliament because I do believe in Europe it's not that I had no idea about politics it's an it's another
politicians it's it's Richie like we say of it song you have to have a state of mind to become politician why we artists we have our beliefs but we are voted every night next at every night you have to be sincere you have to be accepted and also we give hope they give solutions so that's the difference I couldn't give solutions right in back did it make you feel though being a politician well I was really enthusiastic because I thought I would do a lot of good to my country and I
knew a lot of people there because there were many countries that I know already by touring I thought really I was losing my heart and I didn't have any emotions anymore so politics trained you of a man yes yes I mean we need really humanity the world can go on we have to keep humanity if not with your daughters well now which is yes yes my daughter and that is really my prize because they're not anybody can have his daughter next to me I miss them a lot when they were young because I was working a lot but
they have traveled with me doing what I was doing constant with the nanny all together now just taking possible yes yes and you know when I was I was younger I was listening to all the other artists older artists that I learned a lot then growing up I started to listen to the younger generations and now with my daughter she's next to me I'm learning from her and I think she's learning also weak change it's a wonderful story the happy birthday to London's Royal Albert Hall on the 25th
Nana didn't win Eurovision that year but her appearance was a hit with U.K. audiences in a bold move the bbc gave this young greek singer her own television series it ran until the early 1980s this is the way it started and singing
also a few Greek songs but translate a little bit what the song was about and we never thought i mean i never thought that it would be interesting and then we've been for many many years
About the series the series it was opening a very beautiful area from Greece the monuments or treasures that we have so the people wanted to learn about the music and the music also make them know about your country
The success of the series when it started in 1968 Nana Mouskouri series was a big draw on the new highbrow channel
it was a pioneering world music show with European folk pop even jazz [Music] nice [Music] millions of people watching the
television there were only three channels you know it was hugely powerful so if you got on one of the music based shows people would buy your records i think i think that the success of someone like Nana Mouskouri was possibly her
television presence obviously she's beautiful in that kind of harmless you wouldn't be offended if your wife liked her and your wife wouldn't be offended for your husband but you know she's not this sort of you know sexual
um dynamo or doesn't look like one anyway I think he must have had this whole generation he must have looked at pop and thought it's awful look jacket then all of a sudden you got an animal
scurry in a lovely little dress with a combed hair and a clean glasses and a lovely way singing very sweet song so it is it's an escape isn't it it's a slightly Blackpool pleasure beach Walt Disney version of the cultures of the world you know reduced to a series
of national dresses and funny instruments in some ways it's quite liberating it's certainly the first time I heard any international polls same with my nan on a Saturday night.
most people might mark the 18th birthday with a party or perhaps a holiday but the singer Nana Mouskouri has more to celebrate than most she does her career has spanned six decades she's collaborated with Bob Dylan Quincy Jones and Harry Belafonte to name just a few so to mark her birthday she's decided to embark on a year-long worldwide tour delighted to say we'll be talking to Nana in a few minutes first though it's have a look at some of her performances old and new Performances] to me
that was it's damn Interview and Nana Mouskouri is here with us now very good morning - it's lovely to see you good morning you thank you had the invitation oh you were watching those films of you over the years the first one we saw was that was the Eurovision Song that kind of made your name you didn't win it did you no no I was number eight and from that moment really I realized that singing in a language that I didn't know at the time so well I didn't sing very well I think I'd lost the interpretation anyway there was another better song but I mean but I
think it was my lucky day two things that day Harry Belafonte was in London and he was watching television and he saw me with my glasses yes and he went back to to Quincy Jones and he said do you know a French girl with glasses he said no stupid is not a French singer it's a it's a it's a it's a Greek singer singing in French but she's Greek and I just did because a year before I did the album with Quincy Jones so I we knew it L so that just was it but the most important was even little with who was the producer of that that show she decided that I could do series with her and we started the series and this series mean for it for about ten years I was I was doing every year the series of ABC - and and they
went everywhere so so in Asia of course Commonwealth and so so that but even that I think I owe to the BBC a lot little bit now you mentioned you mentioned the glasses there yes they weren't a gimmick at the start no no they were was never a gimmick if you want to try I mean my glasses are real I can't see far of course getting older you don't see far and also closer when it became a trademark didn't it because that's what people knew before well it's other things I had my glasses all the time I mean I didn't like them at the beginning when I just started to wear them I was 12 years so and these there is a there was not a lot of progress you know it was so I I didn't like them at all
everybody was laughing at me but at the end I needed to see well and this showed me and also I started to hide myself behind the glasses somehow and I believed that what is important it's not it's not really how you look but it is what you can give well and everybody was listening in to my voice and nothing nothing happened before until the day that they told me you have to get wet I had the success I had to get rid of my glasses and he says and I didn't I didn't accept that so I said no I go on with my glasses well you did alright because I mean in case people don't know you you you are the highest selling female artist of all time globally which is an extraordinary that's what they say that's what they say but I mean you
mentioned the fact that you have this international abuse you speak or can sing in how many languages no I speak five six you speak five but I did like a lot of things we did sing if you go to Korea you sing Korean if you go to Japan using Japanese it's a question of or in China you sing Chinese also a meaning Ireland I sing in Gaelic and you know so because it's easy I think it's a gentle gesture because I like I love folk music so it's just nice gesture to sing to someone who listen to you know Greek and you're whatever you sing and then all of a sudden singing songs of them and it's I love like you remember that so you remember it specifically for that performance but do you remember the language afterwards I mean if I said to
you to sing only love in Korean now is it is it still there no it's just for that moment in time yeah it's from that moment and in fact I have a small paper to read the but it is I did it just like I say I don't remember it but every time I I go I will sing it if I I mean only love I did in five languages this is true which was German Spanish of course English French French super before but but I don't always remember I remember of course a few of the songs sometimes and but I as soon as I go there then I take out my books and I started to to to study and in fact unless it's it's a language that I don't speak and I sing it only then I just learn everything is my heart I don't have prompters Wow only
if I sing of course Korean or Chinese I take a small paper so I can I can imagine is amazing um so most people I don't imagine for the 80th birthday I'm planning to do a big tour but that's what you're doing that's how you want to celebrate it well you know it was a very big question when I became sixty I didn't want anybody to see me so I said to my manager we go somewhere where nobody will see us so he said I can take you to Atlantic City we got it so went to Atlantic City and sent that night and afterwards it was a surprise the fans from all over the world we're there to celebrate your birthday my birthday and I don't know so but I found out so I said afterwards you know I started to think what is what is the best you know
I throw it in in fact after that I did when I was 70 I did also sing but I think between Germany then in Greece and then we had a party now it's a different one and you know I remembered Liberace when I was I was always very shy and so when I was in America Liberace liked me very much so one day we were doing a show and then if you I was trembling like that he said what are you afraid like this I mean it's not the first time you go onstage I mean and I said well it's always like this and he said darling the first 80 years are the most difficult and I say he told me this ad is like that I have to go on stage I really had to go I mean seven years ago I decided to go of yes I think I was right because I continued for over
fifty years going from one tour to the other and at the end I didn't also underst no I know what what happened to me but it was so so so wonderful and we what happened it's like a dream to be like this so they say I have to celebrate not everybody is lucky enough to be a team really and be able to sing so I say we wish you happy birthday remember that the first 80 years yes are difficult on that phone naina thank you so much begins later this month yes some lovely sunshine yesterday it's September I love this month how's it gonna continue Alex morning good
the two of you have had these wonderful enduring memories and careers what what is it what is that common denominator that has given you I think we lived in a time that everybody was optimistic they were trying to build we were trying to build something and we I mean I think so we we loved what we were doing I wanted to sing I didn't want to be anything else but a singer and and loved it and tried to do it the best way give my heart in it and I always see that until today I just learn I am curious I'm learning more and more every day we have such I agree with every word she says I mean it's really it's their curiosity that that drives you and it's the the will to to give yourself and to do that nothing else I mean I don't want to do anything else I want to be an actor and to entertain people and to give them a good time and to be able to sing to them and I don't want to be a politician I don't want to be anything else that's what I want to be exactly and every day we play on stage it's another day it's never the
same when there is it's a new day and you learn something more and we are different on stage and you receive also directly you know you lose you lose you're very good but when the world is so focused on a youth culture you to just sort of stand up as icons for what is achieved and there are so many people who get to a point and feel relegated to a background you know just I'm interested in that point of difference that you can create and give others the will and the drive yes well okay but without the seats that when I was younger I started I listen to the older people that were singing the preview said well I learned a lot from them and so I try to do my best for what I had with me what I had to give I tried to give it in the best way by learning today I learned from the young people also sometimes the things I shouldn't do I learned from the young people and this is what I think what what what keeps us going it's the interest in which we love is it well I mean I'll go I'll take a
different angle I'm not that I disagree but I'll just bring a different angle that I mean when I did fiddler first I was thirty years old and I had to play an older man which I then said well he should be 50 or 55 which seemed to be very very old and I had to learn how to close muscles and how to give their posture their silhouette the right silhouette for the part and so on and so forth now it's much easier for me to play the part and I don't have to pay attention to those trivial things that I did and I feel it I'm much freer now to play the part and to play the emotions and to play and I'm very experienced with what does it mean to to to give your daughter to another men who comes along when at that time I had to imagine what it meant I had the daughter at four years old and I had said yes when when I sing then do you love me after and my wife answers after 25 years you ask me if I love you and I thought God 25 years people are married 25 years that's a lot isn't it 25 years I mean I've been with the same lady now
for almost 50 years so we're 25 years to youngsters so 30 years you just recently got married yeah the two of you do too in common yes absolutely yes yeah 30 years together yes - what a pleasure it is to have two wonderful international performers of such stature sitting together and enjoying each other's company and and and talents it is it is really wonderful and we appreciate your time thank you very much you're gonna stay with us because I love to have a bit more of a chat with you that's is a little bit more yes I won't be able to join you and when you thank you very get at the Capitol Theater 22nd of September Topol Fiddler on the Roof thank you very much it is such a treasure thank you good morning okay we've got more coming up of course the world will show business Peter Ford will join us from Melbourne but next some of the best looks for the the warm with the warm summer weather ahead stay with us
Wednesday welcome back to mornings Nana Mouskouri is one of the world's biggest selling female recording artists with over more than 350 diamond platinum gold records to her name a phenomenal career especially when you consider Nana was born with only one vocal cord instead of two or so I'm delighted again this morning on warnings to be joined by the Greek songstress herself Nana welcome back thank you very much and could I just say a special thank you for joining in the conversation with topple off the top oh I enjoyed it very much because I had really the chance to meet him in the late sixties seventies in in London and admired him very much it was wonderful to see him again yeah absolutely yes I mentioned in the introduction that you born with one vocal cord perhaps you could explain yeah well is in fact it's not one it's one that functions the right way the other one is thicker I have to like everybody the only thing I have one of the two cords which functions very hardly and so I learned
since I was very young you know I realized that I had the same first problem with a doctor that I had to work how to make my voice sound - normally doesn't vibe decided the same way one is thicker than the other the one vibes normally when you do breathe the other one is thicker and you have to work it out to makes it more more flexible to sound this way I have a husky voice when I speak but when I sing is it's clear so did they cause any difficulties as a child yes it costed that I wasn't always I had a bad throat all the time and they didn't know where it comes from and I had a husky voice and so I couldn't reach the notes that I wanted and when I realized that was a problem then I started to work harder to make it function the right way it's a discipline like the muscles it's a discipline how to work it so many different musical genres that you've covered let alone languages how have you managed to do the various songs in so many different languages well I was singing in Greek but but I I was at the
conservatory studying classical music so I learned about folk music traditional music and also as a young girl I wanted to sing jazz and and you know pop music also rock and roll I was like all youngsters so this made me having different languages but also when I was asked it you know in the early sixties already I invited was invited by Harry Belafonte to perform with him and also Quincy Jones to record with it so I wanted to we need to learn other sounds other languages learn how the cultures it was important for me it was the curiosity there the interest that I have in the music that is not only my Greek music but there are other other styles and also if I wanted to introduce the Greek songs I had to speak a language so that I can introduce my songs so I went in Europe we are all close different languages so I started to learn languages in order to be able to communicate with the people so how many languages are you fluent in six is that too much but I can find my way now but I I speak Greek in French in English a
German Italian and Spanish but I can speak a bit over pizookie is a bit of a Dutch and everything you know little things here very clever now we just heard the magnificent voice of lillius white and I know you were in she was really gorgeous I mean I was impressed to to to listen to her it was wonderful wonderful again a very very different genre of music to what you do heavy have you ever sung rock and roll a little bit when I was younger of course and I was never recorded a real rock so but I said one day I could have you know one day I will find maybe never it's too late so maybe you could go rock and roll song or a Repsol what Rapids I remember I remembered I have a journal de rapping so beautifully you know what every day I don't think I could do it because I'm not so much into you have to be also honest with it you know if you don't do it right it's better not to do it so I don't think Rob but rock yes after the the extraordinary success that you have enjoyed this is your farewell to what
what is it that you will miss the most I think I will miss most the audience and that's only the applause my me the applause is not so much but is this warmth that you feel at the end of a concert you see some people cry some people laugh and this one that you feel inside that you have shared so many emotions with these people and they and then because of them I have been around because if the audience does not like you you don't stay you know you may say that you're the biggest the greatest the audience has to say the final word I think this is because it's love what I receive from the audience and I hope I give as much love they gave me and we all live for love you know so nobody wants to be a part from this but I make sense that this cannot last forever so I wanted to make it consciously to know that this is my last door and when I decide something I am very positive for that but to say thank you again for once more and just let them all so it's like what happens in the audience you know they are also happy to say thank you
very much and goodbye well it is such a rare treat to know somebody with that attitude who really does love their audience and appreciate how much they have given so let's not forget the world fair world tour for nana Mouskouri there are some days from the festival theater in Adelaide - to Melbourne - twin towns to the Convention Center in in Brisbane and you must see one of the most wonderful performers who has given so much over the years and Nana again to meet a star a celebrity of your caliber and to be as generous as you have through our whole program I do appreciate it thank you very very much thank you thank you Nana Mouskouri joining us.
Welcome to welcome our very special guest nana Muskuri thank you so much for joining us thank you very much for inviting me that was really wonderful when i heard that you would like to talk to me well i could tell you it's very much an honor who is nana musgury About Nana Mouskouri it's hard um singer and um I became a singer because I was very shy and I didn't i was afraid i was um you know I'm a girl from the war i was born very close to the second world war so I was very introverted and the singing has started to help me to to become me to be listening to become somebody so this is synonymous courier i became the person I am from my songs from my singing and from the wish to try to find friendship trying to find love trying to find life happiness and get to know people communicate so this is curious the songs that you have sung the types of songs have been everything from classical songs songs from movies Christian and religious songs and folk songs is there a certain type of music that you find the most meaningful I think that the music is is a really a big source of of inspiration for me and from the beginning of course i was brought up with the from
the films the film serve that i used to see my father was a projectionist so so i did in a movie and so i used to to watch films all sorts of films and of course one of the most important film that i saw was it as a young girl was the wizard of oz so i i became a sort of uh Dorothy so you see so i came to the world to the world uh singing and trying to find if love exists but so so the music for me was one step at the beginning was rather film songs from the the movies then i tried to listen and when i was listening around there was Greek Greek music at the time popular music you know in the in the late 40s beginning of the 60s of the 50s excuse me and so i i came into that but most of all i was in influenced by jazz you know after the war a lot of American music was playing around the world and of course in Europe a lot so the jazz was the first that that influenced me so i was copying fitzheroes Billy Holiday all the great singers of the time but then i came into the Greek music which was it was a modern music very original because it was the the first time that this type of music existed in Greece and it was a mixture of of traditional and modern this was influenced by the by the tradition and byzantine music but it was very modern very inspired by a composer called Vanu Sajirakis and the writer part
who was nico status so that was the time I became a singer and from then on i because i i started to travel as well invited to countries i started to learn other styles of music and for me was to go further to learn more the styles of the music than because you know that was the only reason i wanted to to learn because if you don't learn you go backwards you cannot stand still so so by learning I was going from one style to the other and at the end i became that sort of singer so i cannot say that I'm this type of singer it is is this style I prefer that depends from the song the times we're living you know it was quite normal to be influenced by Joan Baez by Dylan I just in the 60s and and the Beatles but in the 50s it was really much more Elvis Presley for me you know that i would uh follow up and and the style of music and he was playing that and of course harry Belafonte with his music because i i went on stage with him very early in my life so this where influences for me very evident and of course afterwards i went into the country because so it's so so interesting as music to using country as well so it was much more the feeling to learn and sing because i like it than because i thought it was another style that it's the richness of of
the music that i was receiving from from the styles that that was interesting for me you mentioned harry Belafonte you recorded this album with him an Harry Belafonte evening with Belafonte and miss curry what was the experience of making that album like i think uh i found it was not only to sing life it was really first of all i was really young at the time and i i did not have experience especially on stage and Harry Belafonte is one of the most extraordinary um singers artists you know that on stage his presence is magnificent and also his ability to present the show his experience his grace because he has a lot of taste and everything is really with the way he does it the way he approaches the audience and the respect that he has for this and the people who come to listen to him so that was a big school for me but it was a big school as well to to sing with him on stage is the importance that he he phrases the importance of the leading inspiration that he has when he sings and how he use his voice how he stands how it is following him you learn you know so much the and also the style of music he was he was singing because up to this point uh of course i did sing my harley jackson songs and and different other like jelly singers of course as well
but also gospel but with him for instance it was the folk gospel because when i sang a wayfaring stranger i mean he gave me the idea to sing that you see it was a you don't sing very easily but you go directly to the school with wayfair he's a stranger you know it's uh so harry was one the stage uh influence and then Quincy i think it was Quincy Jones it was the most precious school as well as i had in the music and in the in the way you sing the way you express the way you you uh do it right because if it's not real he does not say he did not accept it you see you he was always there no you have to convince me you know and and this is so important you have to find a way to believe in what you're doing so if not you you you're not good you know you you and and it it was as i said of course today uh 25 years old you're not very very young because the youngsters say they grow up faster you know it's there much but for me in in these days it was i was quite young and ready to learn so i may say that i was really like brought up in the united states somehow because in two years whereas it was the 62 with Quincy and then 63 years old with harry it was and for two or three years more it was really a big time of schooling
you know for for me it was wonderful i mean really what about the work you did with Michelle Le Grand the French composer Michelle le gran yes but that was so i met Quincy jones at the same time with Michelle so he was another school and i and i must say that the manuscript Nicolas Garcia as i said it was my my first Greek school there i got my the identity so then i met Quincy and Michelle again it was almost at the same time that um i came first to the united states and then for Quincy and then i came back and started to be in the studio with Michelle and do the paraple de shabu and then did what i did with him and some more work that's because we worked a lot to with Chris with um inshallah is also as genius as as my other friends that i named up to now and and Michelle is also a great musician very inspiring and he is a great composer as well and he was as as the important you know in singing with him because he's not an easy person okay you say that's right no they get to the depths of of the song of the act that you have and because they know that that you have something this they come to you to get something out of you and until they get what they want they are very very very strong and very tough with you and and
and this is also what makes an artist to become what what is I think if I didn't go uh if I didn't met these people at the beginning of my my life like my career let's say i i wouldn't be the singer that i became you know after in through the years if it was absolutely important for me to go through that and I think that i was very lucky but so early going out from Greece I just almost urged to find something was in another style of course but it was similar of what i learned from my my big friends like in in Greece and it was very important i didn't know what it was I was singing but I didn't know uh what was to be a singer so i learned it at the same time as as i was traveling from one country to the other especially meeting those wonderful people that i think that that i wouldn't have existed as a singer if there were not there with me at a certain time the influence for me you know it was even from singers like like Joan Baez you know with with her style because she she she not only was a great singer really but also the material that she she was singing was was so important and she even sang a lot of Mexican traditional south American songs but I was of course I had other influences from the south of American music and also from Spanish music let's say that I had the Francis also from the classics and and
certain singers but she was there singing in English of course and then at the same time it was this flavor that it was Latin flavor may i say she was very important for me you know also one of the interesting Recording in different languages things is the number of songs you've recorded in different languages Greek French English German what has it been like to reach people in so many different countries with your music yes i mean when i started for instance the first time you know i like i said i didn't mainly put in my mind i i would do that so i will go there i will do that i go there no the first thing that happened was from Greece when i was i received a call from Paris in fact that it was the general manager of the company Phillips at the time Fontana who was interested because uh in these days there was never a Saturday film like this and some Greek music crossed the borders a then came to Europe somehow so so somebody uh Mr. Azan was his name he asked me to to come to Paris so he wanted really to record me in Paris and before i even do the recordings in Paris i was invited in Germany so he helped me to to to go to Germany because he it was the same company anyway because manuscripts at the time he did a film called the Greece land of dreams and and i was the singer in it i mean it was not a film
it was just a documentary on Greece uh with beautiful pictures from the islands and the people and there was a music and a voice and the voice i was lucky to be the one i sang five songs in this in this documentary and this documentary went to to the berlin fest festival and then they have chosen the company one or two I was invited of course in the evening of the of the the festival and they have chosen two songs that they wanted me to do in German of course at the time i didn't speak German but when they asked me if i could do it as i was used to saying in English or French and i didn't speak it out to the languages at the time but English and French and Italian because my mother it was from Corfu but I liked the sounds you so i was used to the sounds so so i said yes of course and and of course when you go to the conservatory because i was lucky to go to conservatory there with the opera you get used to the languages somehow the sounds because there are a lot of opera German so I said yes and i did the the song and within eight months it was number one in the church the white rose you know that was the white rose of Athens so what happened once this success was really so big and i did interviews and things i felt that i was really it was a shame that i couldn't address myself to the people i couldn't speak their language and yet i had this success so i said it's to me to me to do the effort to go to them
then they should they cannot learn my language I have to learn my language their language in in order to to sing for them so simply like that i started to study in German and with the years I learned to do of course to speak and everything also i did a lot of things like this with the with Italian Iused to speak a little bit but I started to work more on that more on the Spanish more and only English and then you know slowly it grew up to to sing other languages and it was because also that first of all I needed to if you are successful somewhere you have to try to to learn the language of the country and and it's a gentle gesture also but it was a satisfaction to learn something about the cultures because with the music you communicate in a different way with the people there are no frontiers except of this of the respect for the music that that's the borders it's respect to the music to the audience to yourself as well so so i continue and i think this is why like i say it's like being a singer for me it was not to be famous but i was so lucky to work with some wonderful people and learn from other other cultures about the cultures about to feel the cultures to understand and and that was amazing for me you know it's um and i didn't force myself it came naturally it's very interesting it's
How many albums do you have been written that you've recorded over 1 500 songs yes i think it's close to close to 2 000 something like that yes that i have about 450 albums I've read Why do you have so many albums yes yes but you have to think that it is 50 and so years because i said my i did my first my first record in Greece it was in 17 what i said sorry it was in 58 huh 1958 that was the the the hatin of the second which was a Greek song uh the beautiful song that it became also as a symbol it's a symbol for me because it's a very meaningful song speaking about the truth so you see so so and then since then you know there were times of course at the beginning i did slowly the albums but then there were years that that because i was singing in languages i had to do three albums which means one was in English one in German one in Spanish then the other year i have to do the French the Greek you know then Portuguese or you know you know that depends on the year sometimes i had to do every year a German album or an English album so so it this is the reason why there are so many albums because there are also the languages and i remember when the or in the it was i think 84 485 when
when in the 80s anyway when I did the song for liberty then I had to record it was a big hit here in Europe and i had to record five albums in one year because they it was such a big kid that every country wanted its own album and of course the language and the idea to do in another country you cannot always do the same songs that you did the in French let's say to take them and do them in Spanish or in English no you have to this for my producer Andres Chappelle is is he was really so uh honest with it because we had to find also something that fitted with the country you know they did you not all the other people have the same feeling for the same song it it it can happen very very often especially with the Americans you know when it's in English it can be the same song success everywhere but other languages it does not happen so often you know so so you have to to work differently and and to find the song that fitted also for the for the temper or let's say of the feelings of another country of the so this is why i i did so so many many records and of course i was very lucky like i say that i grew up as a singer and international as European of course not American that they all all sing in English and that's it but but for me i i couldn't do that if it won't
work i didn't dare to do just an English album in Germany the only thing i could do was to put a certain English song in English yes but not the whole album and this is why i have done so many albums and i was influential influencers influenced from many many artists around the world so this is why it's there's an extent reparator and the styles and of course i did two or three albums in America recorded over there but of course a lot it was done in Germany not in English or in France or in Spain I've read How many albums have you sold worldwide different reports but it's been said that you sold a lot of albums do you know how many albums you have sold worldwide well i i think they started to talk about 200 250 million or i don't know something like that but then you know from mouth to mouth sometimes it becomes 300 but i think it's rather i mean when they started 200 maybe we came 250 i i don't know something i believe there has been a lot and i tell you why because i i started you know my big time was the 70s in and i had many countries at the same time and many languages of course already and it was very big because people they were selling a lot of records i had in in Asia you know in
Australia New Zealand you know in Canada and of course in Europe Scandinavia so when you think of all those countries at the big time when people used to buy a lot of records you know it's uh this is why they have sold a lot of records because between the 70s and the 80s the market was very very very big so so then it started to to slow down i really it was for me of course i enjoyed it when i heard about it but you know when you live and you travel and you sing and you do that i never thought of the of the records of selling and i know i have a lot of golden and platinum at the time that they used to give us all those type of records but uh you know it was like i think it was the fact that I lasted such a long time on the record business and it and i started at the beginning because you know the early 60s started really to be big in in Europe and then it grew up until the um later on tell us about the latest album of duets rendezvous yes um duets in my life you know I did a lot of uh duets I mean I started to like a thing with harry i did also lazy i did sing with other singers many but it was never uh it was not like i mean when very big artists do a duet there was a time that it was a big thing like versus when sinatra started frank
started to do the dwells it was really huge the the appeal of this record in fact i have almost done and i do it with Frank Sinatra and the problem is that at the time you know it was a time that they have started already to do by phone or telephone or you know you are in the studio somebody in Los Angeles and you are somewhere else you know so and I know I thought this was impossible and i refused really to do it because I just wanted to be next to the artist because it is for me when you think you you have to share something with the artist so i was so shy of doing that and I didn't but anyway that's that's life so so it was a big and then of course he dropped down a little bit but lately after you know i started 10 years ago everybody does dwelt you know every everywhere the only person i didn't do yet it was me and last two years ago it was no it was last year 2011. all of a sudden because i was you know i'm about 50 years with this the same company and um and last year they they said okay what about doing a record with west so so i said okay we would do that why not i mean and I started to call some friends so some they're able to come some they couldn't come but so we did this album but unfortunately uh we didn't finish right because there were a few
songs that i wanted to do and I couldn't do them but anyway the album was finished and um and it was very very it went accepted very very well and then we did also a German version because we needed to have some German songs in it and now it says that we are working on the idea to do to do to have some more uh included some more duets for English not to be because now it's not uh it's mainly French at the beginning it was mainly French so again you know the problem comes that in every market you have to have more songs of the language so and this is why it's it will be the third version that they will do international and where the fuse are there what do you want people to get from the experience of listening to your music songs i think what with my songs i i think it's it's a question like i the feeling that i have when you sing us or when you hear a song it has to be a sort of uh healing just to make you a little bit dreamed to make a bitch's travel just to to be in another world and and just understand that life may be hard but it can be always better i mean it's just to give a hope it's the hope that i have found myself in the songs and and this is the feeling that that i would like for the people to have that there is love somewhere and you have to hope for this love and love it's not really only
one person it's it's it's everywhere there are a lot of faces in love with it you know and you can have love and you don't realize that it's there to help you you know it it's just very human the humanity that i want to keep like the one i get and this is what I got from the audience as well i sing my songs hoping that somebody will identify with this and and in his own way and and and be happy and and this is because when they are happy they give me also a lot of of happiness we you know and then and that is what it is it's it's I think the singing is it's a sort of uh if there's not it's not a destination to get to do to the destination is it's the voyage you know it's the the the the that you do it's a trip that you do that that is important because on this on this wayash you know you just have you crossroads and thorns and roses and and things but you you meet friends also and and you meet also good things and and this is what is important after all to live is to meet people to to give love to receive love this i did myself with my singing but there are people who paint and do the same thing there are people who write a book or or or a paper newspaper and then you know there there are a lot of ways of expression I mean you talk to the people on the radio is doing exactly what i do with my singing it it's it's a communication it's an exchange of of feelings
you share also and and and they give you by listening to you it's the answer that you were writing what you do and and the way you give it and the real happiness I think it's it's it's invisible somehow but it's there you know my my point whatever you know what when i speak about this journey is is because on the journey you have to look around and you are inspired so i was inspired from my friends from simple people as well sometimes that they will ask me why don't you sing this song and then I would listen to the song and and if i like it they said okay this is a good idea why notIi will sing it this is an exchange in life and also you have to trust people it's very simple I mean when I hear a song sometimes I you know somebody you say if you sing the song it will be a big hit if I don't believe it the song I don't sing it even if they promise me whatever they want because it's not sure nobody knows what it is to have a head what is what you know is if you love it and if you sing it the right way that you feel to sing it then maybe somebody will listen or maybe not but this is a chance this is the risk you get but when it comes to satisfy people it's it's such a reward because you are also happy what is the best thing being me
about being anonymous curry I think the best thing that being me I think when i was a young girl you know I was wearing glasses I was a big bad girl i was somehow rejected somehow and the best thing is is that i always trusted myself and i was trying to to get better go to just to lose weight to do something but i started to do it for myself but the only thing was the best thing for me was that i decided so i am like this i do what i can to be a little bit better because you go on stage and you have to be with other people is to say stay sincere and real not to try to be you know pretending being somebody else pretending to be something that you to put up a face let's say to put up a stage person because if you don't believe in what to do another person like it it doesn't work and and me i always wanted to be myself and the people accepted me so so i think sincerity and honesty was for me the the best thing to be Nana Muskuri because this this is why i i made so many friends and and they are still my friends and and i know they they are around for me it's because I'm very sincere and they know I'm sincere to them and I'm sincere with my songs and with my work if you could say one thing to our listeners all over the world what would it be it would be one word to thank you for being so loyal to me all these years and what the audience all around the world has given me
was so important that brought me all through these years until today and with this i will go to another world one day whenever it happened I will bring this love with me and it's very sincere what i say and because all over the world sometimes less like in the United States I have less listeners following that that i have voices in Canada or in Korea or you know or some play in some places but it's the same everywhere the same love that I receive and this is a very sincere honest loyalty that I really appreciate very much and and I must say that that I know when they don't like a certain song and i i i know why which means that I learn also from the people what it is good and not good for me you know so I learned from from the failures let's say but I say thank you and and really i thank you it's really the the biggest word that like I can say to them and of course to wish them health to wish them health a lot yes I actually have one more question you mentioned earlier how influenced you over the rainbow were by songs and movies one of the songs you recorded is over the rainbow what made you decide to record that song over the rainbow it's a song
that I was singing as i said I grew up in a cinema it was the first song that influenced me so when i when i was a little girl you know just i was going up the little stage of the cinema my father was used to work it was an open-air summer cinema in which when it is warm the weather you know they are outdoors it's not a drive-in and it's just a small garden with trees around it was it was at the time because now everything changes and so and there was a small stage and over that stage i learned to sing over the rainbow and when i asked it i uh without music without nothing and when i asked you know my parents to try to explain me they couldn't speak English so they went to a neighbor so the neighbor explained me what it was so I was going on stage and and all the time it was if little birds can fly why oh why can't I that was my symbolic you know thing so when I became a singer it was still one of the songs that i was singing like a little girl would do hoping that she would one day sing this is why I say I call myself a singer if for this reason it was a dream to sing but I didn't know professionally what it was singing so when we went to when I went to New York it was on the tape of of that because we did about 20 songs with Quincy Jones it was in 1962 can you mention 50 years ago in New York and uh and in 42nd street to studio the philaremon was was was the the the engineer at the time
of this of the studio so i did about 20 songs but they were only 12 songs that they were on the record because when she decided to have these songs and over the rainbow was recorded but it was stayed there with the small group it was really quite quite tedious we did it and it's a song that through the years i have been singing on my concerts all the time because i it comes a time at the end of the show it's everything so wonderful and so and i explained that my dream was to be up there on stage and sing like Dorothy and through the years i've learned from this song and from the film of course with the three guys that they were around with Dorothy you remember she had the dog she had the the strongman the lion and the chin man you you've seen the film huh yes so all my life you know at the the three things beginning i was i was trying to figure out why they were these three guys around her on the road on the yellow brick road that she was going to find to find love in life so it became for me a sort of of not only a symbol but an aim or in life there are three things that you need to to become to be loved and to become somebody and this was the the heart that the lion needed the brain that the stroman needed if I only had the brain and the courage
that the uh the no it's between men they didn't needed the heart tin man needed the heart and the lion needed the courage because you remember the lion was scared so everything was trembling all the time so right so somehow you you understand that why this film growing up you know over the rainbow it was my dream to sing like the birds and and and then then you know you have to have courage you have to have the heart not lose and then then you have to have a brain as well you have to to work right and and this is what what i find and you know when i was I started to be calm known and there was a lot of demand then i had to go for one i always said to myself i should never lose my heart I just should never lose my my uh heart and my soul that i had when i was a young girl and until today I just have the same fears anxieties and when i go on stage and it's it every time is a new you new new moment you know it's not and and I'm so careful about my notes about what i would do how I was saying because you know all this have stayed to me like it's always an internal beginning you know for for me and well it's and also i think for me when I was going on stage it was also like a small psychoanalysis let's say i was singing to the people that were forgetting all my troubles you know I put them on the side and then without wanting and and because you are out there and you talk you
you express yourself it's it's what people missing in this world is to to express themselves and and as I said to express you can make a beautiful cake if you express if you like to do that or to cook or to write or to paint or to uh to make beautiful shoes or to make a beautiful gardens I think this expression that people when they do it the right way if they believe in it they are happy so i became like like Dorothy the young girl that I was through my singing i have found in this world what is love what is loyalty what it is also satisfaction that your work that you're doing you respect and they respect you for what you do and it was also also my singing that brought me closer to the children and I worked for unicef for since 1993 now and and and it's a great satisfaction to be able to to help to be there for people and and do what you can to ease their pain or to look at after the future of the children because they are the future of our world so working with unicef was very rewarding for me as well it helped my singing as well well i can tell you i very much enjoyed doing this
interview i appreciate it a lot thank you very much it's been an honor
the films the film serve that i used to see my father was a projectionist so so i did in a movie and so i used to to watch films all sorts of films and of course one of the most important film that i saw was it as a young girl was the wizard of oz so i i became a sort of uh Dorothy so you see so i came to the world to the world uh singing and trying to find if love exists but so so the music for me was one step at the beginning was rather film songs from the the movies then i tried to listen and when i was listening around there was Greek Greek music at the time popular music you know in the in the late 40s beginning of the 60s of the 50s excuse me and so i i came into that but most of all i was in influenced by jazz you know after the war a lot of American music was playing around the world and of course in Europe a lot so the jazz was the first that that influenced me so i was copying fitzheroes Billy Holiday all the great singers of the time but then i came into the Greek music which was it was a modern music very original because it was the the first time that this type of music existed in Greece and it was a mixture of of traditional and modern this was influenced by the by the tradition and byzantine music but it was very modern very inspired by a composer called Vanu Sajirakis and the writer part
who was nico status so that was the time I became a singer and from then on i because i i started to travel as well invited to countries i started to learn other styles of music and for me was to go further to learn more the styles of the music than because you know that was the only reason i wanted to to learn because if you don't learn you go backwards you cannot stand still so so by learning I was going from one style to the other and at the end i became that sort of singer so i cannot say that I'm this type of singer it is is this style I prefer that depends from the song the times we're living you know it was quite normal to be influenced by Joan Baez by Dylan I just in the 60s and and the Beatles but in the 50s it was really much more Elvis Presley for me you know that i would uh follow up and and the style of music and he was playing that and of course harry Belafonte with his music because i i went on stage with him very early in my life so this where influences for me very evident and of course afterwards i went into the country because so it's so so interesting as music to using country as well so it was much more the feeling to learn and sing because i like it than because i thought it was another style that it's the richness of of
the music that i was receiving from from the styles that that was interesting for me you mentioned harry Belafonte you recorded this album with him an Harry Belafonte evening with Belafonte and miss curry what was the experience of making that album like i think uh i found it was not only to sing life it was really first of all i was really young at the time and i i did not have experience especially on stage and Harry Belafonte is one of the most extraordinary um singers artists you know that on stage his presence is magnificent and also his ability to present the show his experience his grace because he has a lot of taste and everything is really with the way he does it the way he approaches the audience and the respect that he has for this and the people who come to listen to him so that was a big school for me but it was a big school as well to to sing with him on stage is the importance that he he phrases the importance of the leading inspiration that he has when he sings and how he use his voice how he stands how it is following him you learn you know so much the and also the style of music he was he was singing because up to this point uh of course i did sing my harley jackson songs and and different other like jelly singers of course as well
but also gospel but with him for instance it was the folk gospel because when i sang a wayfaring stranger i mean he gave me the idea to sing that you see it was a you don't sing very easily but you go directly to the school with wayfair he's a stranger you know it's uh so harry was one the stage uh influence and then Quincy i think it was Quincy Jones it was the most precious school as well as i had in the music and in the in the way you sing the way you express the way you you uh do it right because if it's not real he does not say he did not accept it you see you he was always there no you have to convince me you know and and this is so important you have to find a way to believe in what you're doing so if not you you you're not good you know you you and and it it was as i said of course today uh 25 years old you're not very very young because the youngsters say they grow up faster you know it's there much but for me in in these days it was i was quite young and ready to learn so i may say that i was really like brought up in the united states somehow because in two years whereas it was the 62 with Quincy and then 63 years old with harry it was and for two or three years more it was really a big time of schooling
you know for for me it was wonderful i mean really what about the work you did with Michelle Le Grand the French composer Michelle le gran yes but that was so i met Quincy jones at the same time with Michelle so he was another school and i and i must say that the manuscript Nicolas Garcia as i said it was my my first Greek school there i got my the identity so then i met Quincy and Michelle again it was almost at the same time that um i came first to the united states and then for Quincy and then i came back and started to be in the studio with Michelle and do the paraple de shabu and then did what i did with him and some more work that's because we worked a lot to with Chris with um inshallah is also as genius as as my other friends that i named up to now and and Michelle is also a great musician very inspiring and he is a great composer as well and he was as as the important you know in singing with him because he's not an easy person okay you say that's right no they get to the depths of of the song of the act that you have and because they know that that you have something this they come to you to get something out of you and until they get what they want they are very very very strong and very tough with you and and
and this is also what makes an artist to become what what is I think if I didn't go uh if I didn't met these people at the beginning of my my life like my career let's say i i wouldn't be the singer that i became you know after in through the years if it was absolutely important for me to go through that and I think that i was very lucky but so early going out from Greece I just almost urged to find something was in another style of course but it was similar of what i learned from my my big friends like in in Greece and it was very important i didn't know what it was I was singing but I didn't know uh what was to be a singer so i learned it at the same time as as i was traveling from one country to the other especially meeting those wonderful people that i think that that i wouldn't have existed as a singer if there were not there with me at a certain time the influence for me you know it was even from singers like like Joan Baez you know with with her style because she she she not only was a great singer really but also the material that she she was singing was was so important and she even sang a lot of Mexican traditional south American songs but I was of course I had other influences from the south of American music and also from Spanish music let's say that I had the Francis also from the classics and and
certain singers but she was there singing in English of course and then at the same time it was this flavor that it was Latin flavor may i say she was very important for me you know also one of the interesting Recording in different languages things is the number of songs you've recorded in different languages Greek French English German what has it been like to reach people in so many different countries with your music yes i mean when i started for instance the first time you know i like i said i didn't mainly put in my mind i i would do that so i will go there i will do that i go there no the first thing that happened was from Greece when i was i received a call from Paris in fact that it was the general manager of the company Phillips at the time Fontana who was interested because uh in these days there was never a Saturday film like this and some Greek music crossed the borders a then came to Europe somehow so so somebody uh Mr. Azan was his name he asked me to to come to Paris so he wanted really to record me in Paris and before i even do the recordings in Paris i was invited in Germany so he helped me to to to go to Germany because he it was the same company anyway because manuscripts at the time he did a film called the Greece land of dreams and and i was the singer in it i mean it was not a film
it was just a documentary on Greece uh with beautiful pictures from the islands and the people and there was a music and a voice and the voice i was lucky to be the one i sang five songs in this in this documentary and this documentary went to to the berlin fest festival and then they have chosen the company one or two I was invited of course in the evening of the of the the festival and they have chosen two songs that they wanted me to do in German of course at the time i didn't speak German but when they asked me if i could do it as i was used to saying in English or French and i didn't speak it out to the languages at the time but English and French and Italian because my mother it was from Corfu but I liked the sounds you so i was used to the sounds so so i said yes of course and and of course when you go to the conservatory because i was lucky to go to conservatory there with the opera you get used to the languages somehow the sounds because there are a lot of opera German so I said yes and i did the the song and within eight months it was number one in the church the white rose you know that was the white rose of Athens so what happened once this success was really so big and i did interviews and things i felt that i was really it was a shame that i couldn't address myself to the people i couldn't speak their language and yet i had this success so i said it's to me to me to do the effort to go to them
then they should they cannot learn my language I have to learn my language their language in in order to to sing for them so simply like that i started to study in German and with the years I learned to do of course to speak and everything also i did a lot of things like this with the with Italian Iused to speak a little bit but I started to work more on that more on the Spanish more and only English and then you know slowly it grew up to to sing other languages and it was because also that first of all I needed to if you are successful somewhere you have to try to to learn the language of the country and and it's a gentle gesture also but it was a satisfaction to learn something about the cultures because with the music you communicate in a different way with the people there are no frontiers except of this of the respect for the music that that's the borders it's respect to the music to the audience to yourself as well so so i continue and i think this is why like i say it's like being a singer for me it was not to be famous but i was so lucky to work with some wonderful people and learn from other other cultures about the cultures about to feel the cultures to understand and and that was amazing for me you know it's um and i didn't force myself it came naturally it's very interesting it's
How many albums do you have been written that you've recorded over 1 500 songs yes i think it's close to close to 2 000 something like that yes that i have about 450 albums I've read Why do you have so many albums yes yes but you have to think that it is 50 and so years because i said my i did my first my first record in Greece it was in 17 what i said sorry it was in 58 huh 1958 that was the the the hatin of the second which was a Greek song uh the beautiful song that it became also as a symbol it's a symbol for me because it's a very meaningful song speaking about the truth so you see so so and then since then you know there were times of course at the beginning i did slowly the albums but then there were years that that because i was singing in languages i had to do three albums which means one was in English one in German one in Spanish then the other year i have to do the French the Greek you know then Portuguese or you know you know that depends on the year sometimes i had to do every year a German album or an English album so so it this is the reason why there are so many albums because there are also the languages and i remember when the or in the it was i think 84 485 when
when in the 80s anyway when I did the song for liberty then I had to record it was a big hit here in Europe and i had to record five albums in one year because they it was such a big kid that every country wanted its own album and of course the language and the idea to do in another country you cannot always do the same songs that you did the in French let's say to take them and do them in Spanish or in English no you have to this for my producer Andres Chappelle is is he was really so uh honest with it because we had to find also something that fitted with the country you know they did you not all the other people have the same feeling for the same song it it it can happen very very often especially with the Americans you know when it's in English it can be the same song success everywhere but other languages it does not happen so often you know so so you have to to work differently and and to find the song that fitted also for the for the temper or let's say of the feelings of another country of the so this is why i i did so so many many records and of course i was very lucky like i say that i grew up as a singer and international as European of course not American that they all all sing in English and that's it but but for me i i couldn't do that if it won't
work i didn't dare to do just an English album in Germany the only thing i could do was to put a certain English song in English yes but not the whole album and this is why i have done so many albums and i was influential influencers influenced from many many artists around the world so this is why it's there's an extent reparator and the styles and of course i did two or three albums in America recorded over there but of course a lot it was done in Germany not in English or in France or in Spain I've read How many albums have you sold worldwide different reports but it's been said that you sold a lot of albums do you know how many albums you have sold worldwide well i i think they started to talk about 200 250 million or i don't know something like that but then you know from mouth to mouth sometimes it becomes 300 but i think it's rather i mean when they started 200 maybe we came 250 i i don't know something i believe there has been a lot and i tell you why because i i started you know my big time was the 70s in and i had many countries at the same time and many languages of course already and it was very big because people they were selling a lot of records i had in in Asia you know in
Australia New Zealand you know in Canada and of course in Europe Scandinavia so when you think of all those countries at the big time when people used to buy a lot of records you know it's uh this is why they have sold a lot of records because between the 70s and the 80s the market was very very very big so so then it started to to slow down i really it was for me of course i enjoyed it when i heard about it but you know when you live and you travel and you sing and you do that i never thought of the of the records of selling and i know i have a lot of golden and platinum at the time that they used to give us all those type of records but uh you know it was like i think it was the fact that I lasted such a long time on the record business and it and i started at the beginning because you know the early 60s started really to be big in in Europe and then it grew up until the um later on tell us about the latest album of duets rendezvous yes um duets in my life you know I did a lot of uh duets I mean I started to like a thing with harry i did also lazy i did sing with other singers many but it was never uh it was not like i mean when very big artists do a duet there was a time that it was a big thing like versus when sinatra started frank
started to do the dwells it was really huge the the appeal of this record in fact i have almost done and i do it with Frank Sinatra and the problem is that at the time you know it was a time that they have started already to do by phone or telephone or you know you are in the studio somebody in Los Angeles and you are somewhere else you know so and I know I thought this was impossible and i refused really to do it because I just wanted to be next to the artist because it is for me when you think you you have to share something with the artist so i was so shy of doing that and I didn't but anyway that's that's life so so it was a big and then of course he dropped down a little bit but lately after you know i started 10 years ago everybody does dwelt you know every everywhere the only person i didn't do yet it was me and last two years ago it was no it was last year 2011. all of a sudden because i was you know i'm about 50 years with this the same company and um and last year they they said okay what about doing a record with west so so i said okay we would do that why not i mean and I started to call some friends so some they're able to come some they couldn't come but so we did this album but unfortunately uh we didn't finish right because there were a few
songs that i wanted to do and I couldn't do them but anyway the album was finished and um and it was very very it went accepted very very well and then we did also a German version because we needed to have some German songs in it and now it says that we are working on the idea to do to do to have some more uh included some more duets for English not to be because now it's not uh it's mainly French at the beginning it was mainly French so again you know the problem comes that in every market you have to have more songs of the language so and this is why it's it will be the third version that they will do international and where the fuse are there what do you want people to get from the experience of listening to your music songs i think what with my songs i i think it's it's a question like i the feeling that i have when you sing us or when you hear a song it has to be a sort of uh healing just to make you a little bit dreamed to make a bitch's travel just to to be in another world and and just understand that life may be hard but it can be always better i mean it's just to give a hope it's the hope that i have found myself in the songs and and this is the feeling that that i would like for the people to have that there is love somewhere and you have to hope for this love and love it's not really only
one person it's it's it's everywhere there are a lot of faces in love with it you know and you can have love and you don't realize that it's there to help you you know it it's just very human the humanity that i want to keep like the one i get and this is what I got from the audience as well i sing my songs hoping that somebody will identify with this and and in his own way and and and be happy and and this is because when they are happy they give me also a lot of of happiness we you know and then and that is what it is it's it's I think the singing is it's a sort of uh if there's not it's not a destination to get to do to the destination is it's the voyage you know it's the the the the that you do it's a trip that you do that that is important because on this on this wayash you know you just have you crossroads and thorns and roses and and things but you you meet friends also and and you meet also good things and and this is what is important after all to live is to meet people to to give love to receive love this i did myself with my singing but there are people who paint and do the same thing there are people who write a book or or or a paper newspaper and then you know there there are a lot of ways of expression I mean you talk to the people on the radio is doing exactly what i do with my singing it it's it's a communication it's an exchange of of feelings
you share also and and and they give you by listening to you it's the answer that you were writing what you do and and the way you give it and the real happiness I think it's it's it's invisible somehow but it's there you know my my point whatever you know what when i speak about this journey is is because on the journey you have to look around and you are inspired so i was inspired from my friends from simple people as well sometimes that they will ask me why don't you sing this song and then I would listen to the song and and if i like it they said okay this is a good idea why notIi will sing it this is an exchange in life and also you have to trust people it's very simple I mean when I hear a song sometimes I you know somebody you say if you sing the song it will be a big hit if I don't believe it the song I don't sing it even if they promise me whatever they want because it's not sure nobody knows what it is to have a head what is what you know is if you love it and if you sing it the right way that you feel to sing it then maybe somebody will listen or maybe not but this is a chance this is the risk you get but when it comes to satisfy people it's it's such a reward because you are also happy what is the best thing being me
about being anonymous curry I think the best thing that being me I think when i was a young girl you know I was wearing glasses I was a big bad girl i was somehow rejected somehow and the best thing is is that i always trusted myself and i was trying to to get better go to just to lose weight to do something but i started to do it for myself but the only thing was the best thing for me was that i decided so i am like this i do what i can to be a little bit better because you go on stage and you have to be with other people is to say stay sincere and real not to try to be you know pretending being somebody else pretending to be something that you to put up a face let's say to put up a stage person because if you don't believe in what to do another person like it it doesn't work and and me i always wanted to be myself and the people accepted me so so i think sincerity and honesty was for me the the best thing to be Nana Muskuri because this this is why i i made so many friends and and they are still my friends and and i know they they are around for me it's because I'm very sincere and they know I'm sincere to them and I'm sincere with my songs and with my work if you could say one thing to our listeners all over the world what would it be it would be one word to thank you for being so loyal to me all these years and what the audience all around the world has given me
was so important that brought me all through these years until today and with this i will go to another world one day whenever it happened I will bring this love with me and it's very sincere what i say and because all over the world sometimes less like in the United States I have less listeners following that that i have voices in Canada or in Korea or you know or some play in some places but it's the same everywhere the same love that I receive and this is a very sincere honest loyalty that I really appreciate very much and and I must say that that I know when they don't like a certain song and i i i know why which means that I learn also from the people what it is good and not good for me you know so I learned from from the failures let's say but I say thank you and and really i thank you it's really the the biggest word that like I can say to them and of course to wish them health to wish them health a lot yes I actually have one more question you mentioned earlier how influenced you over the rainbow were by songs and movies one of the songs you recorded is over the rainbow what made you decide to record that song over the rainbow it's a song
that I was singing as i said I grew up in a cinema it was the first song that influenced me so when i when i was a little girl you know just i was going up the little stage of the cinema my father was used to work it was an open-air summer cinema in which when it is warm the weather you know they are outdoors it's not a drive-in and it's just a small garden with trees around it was it was at the time because now everything changes and so and there was a small stage and over that stage i learned to sing over the rainbow and when i asked it i uh without music without nothing and when i asked you know my parents to try to explain me they couldn't speak English so they went to a neighbor so the neighbor explained me what it was so I was going on stage and and all the time it was if little birds can fly why oh why can't I that was my symbolic you know thing so when I became a singer it was still one of the songs that i was singing like a little girl would do hoping that she would one day sing this is why I say I call myself a singer if for this reason it was a dream to sing but I didn't know professionally what it was singing so when we went to when I went to New York it was on the tape of of that because we did about 20 songs with Quincy Jones it was in 1962 can you mention 50 years ago in New York and uh and in 42nd street to studio the philaremon was was was the the the engineer at the time
of this of the studio so i did about 20 songs but they were only 12 songs that they were on the record because when she decided to have these songs and over the rainbow was recorded but it was stayed there with the small group it was really quite quite tedious we did it and it's a song that through the years i have been singing on my concerts all the time because i it comes a time at the end of the show it's everything so wonderful and so and i explained that my dream was to be up there on stage and sing like Dorothy and through the years i've learned from this song and from the film of course with the three guys that they were around with Dorothy you remember she had the dog she had the the strongman the lion and the chin man you you've seen the film huh yes so all my life you know at the the three things beginning i was i was trying to figure out why they were these three guys around her on the road on the yellow brick road that she was going to find to find love in life so it became for me a sort of of not only a symbol but an aim or in life there are three things that you need to to become to be loved and to become somebody and this was the the heart that the lion needed the brain that the stroman needed if I only had the brain and the courage
that the uh the no it's between men they didn't needed the heart tin man needed the heart and the lion needed the courage because you remember the lion was scared so everything was trembling all the time so right so somehow you you understand that why this film growing up you know over the rainbow it was my dream to sing like the birds and and and then then you know you have to have courage you have to have the heart not lose and then then you have to have a brain as well you have to to work right and and this is what what i find and you know when i was I started to be calm known and there was a lot of demand then i had to go for one i always said to myself i should never lose my heart I just should never lose my my uh heart and my soul that i had when i was a young girl and until today I just have the same fears anxieties and when i go on stage and it's it every time is a new you new new moment you know it's not and and I'm so careful about my notes about what i would do how I was saying because you know all this have stayed to me like it's always an internal beginning you know for for me and well it's and also i think for me when I was going on stage it was also like a small psychoanalysis let's say i was singing to the people that were forgetting all my troubles you know I put them on the side and then without wanting and and because you are out there and you talk you
you express yourself it's it's what people missing in this world is to to express themselves and and as I said to express you can make a beautiful cake if you express if you like to do that or to cook or to write or to paint or to uh to make beautiful shoes or to make a beautiful gardens I think this expression that people when they do it the right way if they believe in it they are happy so i became like like Dorothy the young girl that I was through my singing i have found in this world what is love what is loyalty what it is also satisfaction that your work that you're doing you respect and they respect you for what you do and it was also also my singing that brought me closer to the children and I worked for unicef for since 1993 now and and and it's a great satisfaction to be able to to help to be there for people and and do what you can to ease their pain or to look at after the future of the children because they are the future of our world so working with unicef was very rewarding for me as well it helped my singing as well well i can tell you i very much enjoyed doing this
interview i appreciate it a lot thank you very much it's been an honor
The White Rose Of Athens Song Lyrics [2]
She walks through the streets of Athens
With a grace that's hard to find
A beauty that's pure and timeless
A symbol of love and pride
Chorus:
The white rose of Athens
A symbol of hope and peace
Her petals hold the secrets
Of a love that will never cease
Verse 2:
Her fragrance fills the air
As she dances in the breeze
Her stem so strong and sturdy
Like the pillars of ancient Greece
Chorus:
The white rose of Athens
A symbol of hope and peace
Her petals hold the secrets
Of a love that will never cease
Bridge:
Through wars and battles she has stood
A symbol of love and truth
Her thorns may prick but her heart is pure
The white rose of Athens, forever enduring
Chorus:
The white rose of Athens
A symbol of hope and peace
Her petals hold the secrets
Of a love that will never cease
Outro:
So when you see her blooming
In the city of Athens
Remember her message
Of love and peace, forever in our hearts.
She walks through the streets of Athens
With a grace that's hard to find
A beauty that's pure and timeless
A symbol of love and pride
Chorus:
The white rose of Athens
A symbol of hope and peace
Her petals hold the secrets
Of a love that will never cease
Verse 2:
Her fragrance fills the air
As she dances in the breeze
Her stem so strong and sturdy
Like the pillars of ancient Greece
Chorus:
The white rose of Athens
A symbol of hope and peace
Her petals hold the secrets
Of a love that will never cease
Bridge:
Through wars and battles she has stood
A symbol of love and truth
Her thorns may prick but her heart is pure
The white rose of Athens, forever enduring
Chorus:
The white rose of Athens
A symbol of hope and peace
Her petals hold the secrets
Of a love that will never cease
Outro:
So when you see her blooming
In the city of Athens
Remember her message
Of love and peace, forever in our hearts.
