Marinella (Greek: Μαρινέλλα) (born May 20, 1938) is a popular Greek singer … Read Full Bio ↴Marinella (Greek: Μαρινέλλα) (born May 20, 1938) is a popular Greek singer whose career has spanned several decades. Even though Marinella is often considered a singer of folk songs, her range is quite broad and has included a variety of musical styles including traditional, laika, pop, blues, and jazz. Marinella is characterised as "The Great Lady of Song" in Greece, where she is regarded with great respect. She rarely makes public appearances, and her concerts are few.

She was born Kyriaki Papadopoulou, in the city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece. She released her first song in 1957, "Nitsa Elenitsa" ("Little Helen"). Her early career was marked by her collaboration with singer Stelios Kazantzidis.

Marinella was the first Greek singer to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1974, placing eleventh with the song "Krasi, Thalassa Kai T' Agori Mou" ("A little wine, a little sea and my man"). She also performed in several Greek musicals, both as singer and actress. Her popularity rose in the 70's and 80's, with a string of successful albums and live shows. She developed a new standard for shows in the Greek night clubs, introducing costumes, dancing, and special lighting effects. Many of today's popular Greek singers (Anna Vissi, Despina Vandi etc.) have modelled their shows on Marinella's shows of the 80's.

In 1998, Marinella performed in the Megaron Music Hall of Athens, performing her older hits to great acclaim. In 2003, she collaborated with George Dalaras. They gave concerts in Athens and Thessaloniki as well as abroad. The tour was titled "Mazi" ("Together") and the released CD from these performances reached platinum status. In 2004, she released a brand new album with new songs by Nikos Antypas and Lina Nikolakopoulou. In the same year she performed at the closing ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics.

In 2005, Marinella released a new album titled Tipota Den Ginete Tyhea, composed by famous Greek composer and lyricist Giorgos Theofanous. The album reached gold status and includes duets with famous Greek singers, such as Antonis Remos, Glykeria and Kostas Makedonas. In 2006, 2 new compilations of Marinella were officially released, the first titled Sti Skini and containing older live recordings and the second one titled Ta Logia Ine Peritta - 50 Chronia Tragoudi, which is a complete 8 CDs boxset with Marinella's greatest hits from the beginning of her career till her collaboration with Kostas Hatzis at "Recital".

Marinella returned to nightlife by performing live with Antonis Remos in the winter season 2007-2008 at Athinon Arena. It was a much anticipated show in Greece, especially given that Marinella had not appeared in any music club for 10 years. Her great quality of voice and the strength of her performances turned this live show to the most successful one for this year in Athens! At the same time Minos EMI and Sony BMG Greece jointly released a double album titled "Marinella - Antonis Remos LIVE" with recordings from these live shows, which has already reached platinum status for sales.

Ithaki
Marinella Lyrics

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Το σώμα που αγγίζεισ απόψε με πάθοσ
Το πήρανε κι άλλεσ αγάπεσ πολλέσ
Σε λάθοσ ταξίδια σε έρωτεσ λάθοσ
Σαν τον οδυσσέα πλανήθηκε δεσ

Τώρα βρήκε ιθάκη βρήκε πάτρια νερά
Τώρα αυτό το σώμα αγαπά πρώτη φορά
Το σώμα που αγγίζεισ σφιχτά κράτησέ το

Καρδιά μου στα χέρια σου μόνο χωρά

Μου λέγαν για αγάπη και γέλαγα η ηλίθια
Σαν γίνηκε ιδρώτασ η κάθε βραδιά

Το σώμα είχε λάσπη και πέτρα στα στήθια
Και έπλασε μέσα απ' τη λάσπη καρδιά

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Marinella's song "Ithaki" convey a deep sense of longing, passion, and self-discovery. The first verse explores the idea of pursuing desires and love, but ultimately getting lost in mistaken journeys and misplaced affections. It draws a parallel to the mythological character Odysseus, who wandered aimlessly before finding his way back home to Ithaki.

In the chorus, the narrative shifts to a newfound sense of fulfillment and contentment. The singer has finally found their "Ithaki" or their true home, symbolizing a place of belonging and inner peace. For the first time, they are experiencing a genuine love, one that they hold tightly and protect.

The second verse reflects on the singer's past skepticism towards love, indicating that they used to mock it and dismiss it as foolishness. However, with the passage of time and the weight of experiences, they have come to realize the transformative power of love. The imagery of the body being covered in mud and stone suggests a metaphorical rebirth from the depths of despair, where a new heart is molded.

IthakiMarinella Lyrics

Ithaki
Marinella Lyrics