1) Arleta, Αρλέτα (Αριάδνη Νικολέτα Τσάπρα, (Ariadne Nicoleta Tsapra), 3 M… Read Full Bio ↴1) Arleta, Αρλέτα (Αριάδνη Νικολέτα Τσάπρα, (Ariadne Nicoleta Tsapra), 3 May 1945 – 8 August 2017) was a Greek musician, author and book illustrator.

Arleta was born in Athens in 1945. She studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts.
She published her first album of her own creation (Ένα Καπέλο με Τραγούδια, A hat with songs) in 1960. In the beginning of her career she worked with many well-known Greek composers like Giannis Spanos, Manos Hatzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis. Her first great successes came with songs whose music was written by Lakis Papadopoulos and lyrics by Marianina Kriezi. She performed with great success in the Athens boîte scene. In 1997 her book, Από πού πάνε για την Άνοιξη (Whereto does one go to get to Spring) was released, a book that includes her own illustrations.

On February 11, 2008, just a few minutes before a planned performance at Volos, Arleta suffered a stroke. She underwent surgery, remaining in a critical but stable condition, from which she managed to recover, having remained though in hospital for 6 months and partly paralysed, unable to stand, for one year.

In January 2017, she suffered another stroke and remained in hospital, where she passed away on 8 August 2017, aged 72.

Discography

Τραγουδά η Αρλέτα (Lyra, 1966) - Arleta sings
Αρλέτα Νο2 (Lyra, 1967) - Arleta No.2
Στο Ρυθμό του Αγέρα (Lyra, 1968) - In the rhythm of the wind
12+1 Τραγούδια του Μάνου Χατζιδάκι (Lyra, 1969) - 12+1 Songs of Manos Hatzidakis
Έξη Μέρες (Lyra, 1970) - Six Days
Ταξιδεύοντας (Lyra, 1976) - Travelling
Romancero Gitano (Lyra, 1978)
Ένα Καπέλο με Τραγούδια (Lyra, 1981) - A hat with songs
Περίπου (Lyra, 1984) - Almost
Τσάι Γιασεμιού (CBS, 1985) - Jasmine Tee
Ζητάτε Να Σας Πω (CBS, 1987) - You ask me to say to you
Δέκα και μία νύχτες (CBS, 1989) - Ten and one nights
Εκτός Έδρας (CBS, 1989) - Away
Άσε τα Κρυφά Κρυμμένα (Columbia, 1991) - Let secrets remain hidden
Μετά Τιμής (Portrait, 1993) - With Honour
Έμπορος Ονείρων (Ακτή, 1995) - Trader of Dreams
Και Πάλι Χαίρετε (Legend, 2009) - Hello to You again
Demo (Lyra, 2010)

2) Arleta is a Czech rapper / audiovisual artist https://arleta.bandcamp.com/album/switch

Nisi Mesa Stin Poli
Arleta Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Παίζω με τη ζωή χορεύω το χορό μου
Κοιμάμαι αγκαλιά μαζί με τ όνειρό μου
Κι η μέρα μου γελάει και με χαϊδεύει η νύχτα
Κι ο έρωτασ μου λέει παραμύθια

Γιατί είμαι ένα νησί μέσα στην πόλη
Κανείσ δε με γνωρίζει κι ασ με ξέρουν όλοι

Παίζω με τη ζωή στα δίχτυα τησ αράχνησ
Γελάω με τον καιρό πίνω νερό τησ πάχνησ
Κι εσένα π αγαπάω πάντα θα σε παιδεύω
Σαν ψάρι θα γλιστράω θα δραπετεύω

Γιατί είμαι ένα νησί μέσα στην πόλη
Κανείσ δε με γνωρίζει κι ασ με ξέρουν όλοι

Παίζω με τη ζωή παίζει κι αυτή με μένα
Κρατάω μυστικά στον άνεμο κρυμμένα
Κι η άγρια μοναξιά άνοιξε σαν λουλούδι
Και τα άρωμα τησ το κανα τραγούδι

Γιατί είμαι ένα νησί μέσα στην πόλη
Κανείσ δε με γνωρίζει κι ασ με ξέρουν όλοι

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Arleta's song "Nisi Mesa Stin Poli" (Νησί Μέσα Στην Πόλη) convey a sense of the singer's detachment from the bustling city life and her unique identity within it. The opening lines capture the idea of playing with life and dancing to one's own rhythm, while also finding solace in dreams. The juxtaposition of day and night suggests a duality in her experiences, where the day brings laughter and comfort, and the night offers soothing caresses. Her love is described as telling her stories, portraying a fairy tale-like quality.

The chorus emphasizes the central theme of the song, as Arleta declares herself to be an island within the city, unknown to anyone despite being known by all. This metaphorical island represents her individuality and the feeling of isolation amidst a crowded urban environment. The repetition of this chorus reinforces her sense of being a distinct entity within the city's fabric.

In the subsequent verses, Arleta continues to explore and embrace this distinction. She speaks of playing with life, entangled in the web of a spider, suggesting a willingness to navigate its complexities. Laughing with time and drinking the water of frost, she implies a resilience and ability to find joy in unconventional places. Moreover, her love is portrayed as an ongoing playful teasing, akin to a fish slipping away and escaping. It highlights the unpredictability and evasiveness of her affections.

The final verse delves deeper into her relationship with life. She holds secrets hidden in the wind and personifies loneliness as a wild flower. The scent of this flower becomes the inspiration for her song. This verse further emphasizes her distinctiveness, as she finds beauty and inspiration in solitude, but also hints at a certain longing for connection and understanding.

Overall, "Nisi Mesa Stin Poli" evokes a powerful sense of self-awareness and individuality within the urban landscape, capturing the essence of Arleta's unique identity and her navigation through life's intricacies.

Line by Line Meaning

Παίζω με τη ζωή χορεύω το χορό μου
I play with life, I dance my own dance

Κοιμάμαι αγκαλιά μαζί με τ όνειρό μου
I sleep embraced with my dream

Κι η μέρα μου γελάει και με χαϊδεύει η νύχτα
The day laughs at me and the night caresses me

Κι ο έρωτας μου λέει παραμύθια
And my love tells me fairy tales

Γιατί είμαι ένα νησί μέσα στην πόλη
Because I am an island in the city

Κανείς δε με γνωρίζει κι ας με ξέρουν όλοι
No one knows me, even though everyone knows me

Παίζω με τη ζωή στα δίχτυα της αράχνης
I play with life in the spider's web

Γελάω με τον καιρό πίνω νερό της πάχνης
I laugh at time, I drink the dew's water

Κι εσένα που αγαπάω πάντα θα σε παιδεύω
And you, whom I love, I will always play around with

Σαν ψάρι θα γλιστράω θα δραπετεύω
Like a fish, I will slip away, I will escape

Παίζω με τη ζωή παίζει κι αυτή με μένα
I play with life, she plays with me