Mouskouri's family lived in Canée, Crete, where her father, Constantin, worked as a film projectionist in a local cinema. Her mother, Alice also worked in the same local cinema as an usherette. When Mouskouri was three, Constantin moved the family to Athens. Mouskouri's family worked extremely hard in order to send Nana and her elder sister, Jenny, to the prestigious Athens Conservatoire. Mouskouri had displayed exceptional musical talent from the age of 6. However her sister, Jenny, appeared to be more the more gifted of the two. In fact Mouskouri only had one 'working' vocal chord (rather than the normal two). This a rare condition gives her voice its particularly original timbre.
Mouskouri's childhood was colored by the Nazi occupation of Greece. Her father became part of the Nazi resistance movement in Athens. Mouskouri began singing lessons at age 12. Despite the flaw in her vocal cords, Mouskouri took singing lessons regularly. During the Nazi German occupation, her family no longer had the financial means to pay for her singing lessons. But her teacher saw that she had a certain talent and continued to give her lessons free of charge. As a child, she listened to radio broadcasts of American jazz singers such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday as well as French chanson stars like Edith Piaf.
In 1950, she was accepted at the Conservatoire. She studied classical music with an emphasis on singing opera. The young Mouskouri committed herself into classical music studies with a passion, perfecting her vocals with extraordinary self-discipline as well as taking piano and harmony classes. After 8 years at the Conservatoire, Mouskouri was encouraged by her friends to experiment with jazz music. She soon began singing with her friends' jazz group at night and they even managed to get a radio slot. However, when Mouskouri's Conservatory professor found out about Mouskouri's involvement with a genre of music that he considered to be absolutely worthless, he flew into a fury and prevented her from sitting her end of year exams. Consequently, the Conservatoire expelled her. Mouskouri's dreams of becoming an opera singer were dashed.
Mouskouri left the Conservatoire and began performing at the Zaki club in Athens. She began singing jazz in nightclubs with a bias on Ella Fitzgerald repertory. It was at the Zaki in 1958 that Mouskouri met the famous Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis. Hadjidakis was immensely impressed by Nana’s original voice and immediately offered to write songs for her. He became her mentor. In 1959 Mouskouri performed Hadjidakis' Kapou Iparchi Agapi Mou (co-written with poet Nikos Gatsos) at the inaugural Greek Song Festival. The song won first prize, and Mouskouri began to be noticed. At the 1960 Greek Song Festival, she performed two more Hadjidakis compositions, Timoria and Kiparissaki. Both these songs tied for first prize. Mouskouri soon ventured further and participated at the Mediterranean Song Festival, held in Barcelona where she performed Kostas Yannidis' composition Xypna Agapi Mou. The song won first prize. Her wins attracted interest from several international record companies. Mouskouri wound up signed a recording contract with the Paris-based Philips-Fontana axis.
In 1961, Mouskouri performed the soundtrack of a German documentary about Greece. This resulted in the German-language single Weisse Rosen aus Athen ("The White Rose of Athens"). The song was originally adapted from a folk melody by Hadjidakis. It became an enormous hit, selling over a million copies in Germany. The song was later translated into several different languages and it went on to become one of Mouskouri's signature tunes. Mouskouri married Yorgos Petsilas in 1961. Mouskouri and Petsilas have two children, son, Nicolas born in February 1968 and daughter, Hélène born in 1970. In 1974, Mouskouri and Petsilas separated and she moved to Geneva, Switzerland. In 1975, Mouskouri and Petsilas were officially divorced.
In 1962, she met renowned American song producer Quincy Jones. Jones got her to go to New York to record an album of American jazz titled, The Girl From Greece Sings. Following that she scored another hit in the United Kingdom with My Colouring Book.
In 1963, she left Greece to live permanently in Paris, France. Mouskouri performed Luxembourg's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest that year, À Force de Prier. The song became an international hit, and helped win her the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque in France. Mouskouri soon attracted the attention of French composer Michel Legrand, who composed her two major French hits Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (1964) and L'Enfant au Tambour (1965).
In 1965, she recorded her second English-language album that was released in the United States entitled, Nana Sings. Jamaican-American Calypso musician Harry Belafonte heard and liked the album. Belafonte brought Mouskouri on tour with him through 1966. They teamed for a live duo album entitled, An Evening With Belafonte/Mouskouri. During this tour, Belafonte told Mouskouri to remove her signature black-rimmed glasses when on stage. She was so unhappy with the request that she wanted to quit the show after only two days. Finally, Belafonte relented and respected her wishes to perform with her glasses.
Mouskouri's 1967 French album Le Jour Où la Colombe ascended her to superstardom in France. This album featured many of her French songs, Au Coeur de Septembre, Adieu Angélina, Robe Bleue, Robe Blanche and the French pop classic Le Temps des Cerises. Her rendition of Guantanamera was very well received. Mouskouri made her first appearance at Paris' legendary Olympia concert theater in 1967, with a repertoire blending French pop, Greek folk, and Hadjidakis numbers.
In 1968, Mouskouri turned her attention to the British market and hosted a variety show called Nana and Guests. In 1969, she released her first full-length British LP, Over and Over. It became a smash hit that spent almost two years on the U.K. charts. Mouskouri spent much of the 1970s on the road which helped to broaden her worldwide popularity to levels. In France, she released a series of top-selling albums that included Comme un Soleil, Une Voix Qui Vient du Coeur, Vielles Chansons de France, and Quand Tu Chantes. She also recorded a successful version of Habanera, from Bizet's opera Carmen. She continued to release highly received albums in Europe, including her 1975 album Sieben Schwarze Rosen which was a significant success in Germany, and her English-language album Book of Songs that sold millions of copies worldwide.
In 1979, Mouskouri had another English-language album named Roses and Sunshine. This album was very well received in Canada. She scored a worldwide hit in 1981 with Je Chante Avec Toi, Liberté, which was translated into several languages after its widespread success in France. The momentum from this album also helped boost her following German album, Meine Lieder Sind Meine Liebe. In 1984, Mouskouri returned to Greece for her first live performance in her homeland since 1962.
In 1986, Mouskouri recorded Only Love, the theme song to a BBC TV series that went on to top the U.K. charts. The song was also a hit with its French version, L'Amour en Héritage. That same year, Mouskouri made a play for the Spanish-language market with the hit single Con Todo el Alma. The song was a major success in Spain, Argentina and Chile. She released five albums in different languages in 1987, and the following year returned to her classical conservatory roots with the double LP The Classical Nana (aka Nana Classique), which featured some of her favorite opera excerpts.
Mouskouri's 1991 English album, Only Love: The Best of Nana Mouskouri became her best-selling release in the United States. She spent much of the 1990s with her rigorous global touring schedule. Among her early 1990s albums were spiritual music, Gospel (1990), the Spanish-language Nuestras Canciones, the multilingual, Mediterranean-themed Côté Sud, Côté Coeur (1992), Dix Mille Ans Encore, Falling in Love Again: Great Songs From the Movies. Falling in Love reunited her with Harry Belafonte on two songs.
She recorded several more albums over 1996-1997, including the Spanish Nana Latina (which featured duets with Julio Iglesias and Mercedes Sosa), the English-language Return to Love, and the French pop classics, Hommages. In 1997, she staged a high-profile Concert for Peace at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. This concert was later released as an album, and aired as a TV special on PBS in the U.S.
Mouskouri was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in October 1993 [1]. She took over from the previous ambassador, American actress Audrey Hepburn. Mouskouri's first U.N. mission took her to Bosnia to draw attention to the plight of children affected by Bosnian war. She was deeply moved by her experience in Bosnia and went on to give a series of fund-raising concerts in Sweden and Belgium.
Mouskouri represented Greece in the European Parliament from 1994 until 1999 as a member of the largely conservative New Democracy party.
In 1993, Nana recorded a new album, Hollywood. It was produced by Michel Legrand. Hollywood was a collection of famous film songs. It served was not only a tribute to the world of cinema, but also as a personal reference to childhood memories of sitting with her father in his projection room in Crete.
Between December 11-14, 1997, Mouskouri gave four triumphant performances at the Olympia in Paris to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her singing career. Also in 1997, Mouskouri resigned from her position as a European MP. She explained that a fervent pacifist, she refused to back wars.
Mouskouri currently lives in Switzerland with her second husband, André Chapelle whom she married on January 13, 2003. She still performs about 100 concerts each year. In 2004, her French record company released an unprecedented 34-CD box set of more than 600 of Mouskouri's mostly French songs.
For 2005 and 2007, she plans a farewell concert tour of Europe, Australia, Asia, South America, the United States, and Canada. During an interview with The Australian newspaper, when asked why this would be her final concert series, Mouskouri said she wanted to retire on a high note. "I never thought that I would grow that old. It is better really to stop while you are standing well on your feet. I just want to be proud and in very good form and thank the audience for all this love," she said.
Adagio
Nana Mouskouri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never on Sunday Lyrics
Ap'to parathiro mou stelno ena dio
Ke tria ke tessera filia
Pou ftanoun sto limani ena ke dio
Ke tria ke tessera poulia
Pos tha 'thela na iha ena ke dio
Otan tha megalosoun ola na ginoun
Leventes yia hari tou Pirea
Oso ki an psazo
Den vrisko allo limani
Trelli na m' echi kani
Apo tou Pirea
Pou otan vradiazi
Tragoudia m' aradiazi
Ke tis pennies tou allazi
Yemizi apo pedia
Apo tin porta mou san vgo
Den iparhi kanis
Pou na min ton agapo
Ke san to vradi kimitho
Xero pos xero pos
Pos tha ton onirefto
Petradia vazo sto lemo
Ke mia ha ke mia ha
Ke mia hantra filachto
Yiati ta vradia kartero
Sto limani san vgo
Kapion agnosto na vro
Oso ki an psazo
Den vrisko allo limani
Trelli na m' echi kani
Apo tou Pirea
Pou otan vradiazi
Tragoudia m' aradiazi
Ke tis pennies tou allazi
Yemizi apo pedia
Pos tha 'thela na iha ena ke dio
Ke tria ke tessera pedia
Homa pou gennithika
Pote mou de s'arnithika
Spiti mou spitaki mou
Ayiatrefto meraki mou
Ki an ton kosmo yirisa
Konta sou xanayirisa
(English)
Oh, you can kiss me on a Monday, a Monday,
A Monday is very very good.
Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday, a Tuesday
A Tuesday, in fact I wish you would.
Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday, a Thursday,
A Friday and Saturday is best.
But never, never on a Sunday, a Sunday,
A Sunday, 'cos that's my day of rest.
Most any day you can be my guest.
Any day you say, but my day of rest.
Just name the day that you like the best.
Only stay away on my day of rest.
Odis Orinon
Kathe dromos echi mia kardia yia ta pedia
Kathe kipos echi mia folia yia ta poulia
Ma kira mou esy, san ti na les me tin avyi
Ke kitas t' asteria pou olo peftoun sa vrohi
Dos mou ta mallia sou na ta kano proseichi
Yia na xanarhiso to tragoudi ap' tin arhi
Kathe spiti kryvi ligi agapi sti siopi
Ke ena agori echi tin agapi yia dropi
Ma kira mou esy, san ti na les me tin avyi
Ke kitas t' asteria pou olo peftoun sa vrohi
Dos mou ta mallia sou na ta kano proseichi
Yia na xanarhiso to tragoudi ap' tin arhi
La la la la, la la la la
La la la li, la la la la
La la la li, la la la la
La la la li, la la la la
La la la la, la la la la
La la la li, la la la la
La la la li, la la la la
La la la li, la la la la
Melisse Mou
Il ne manque pas une hirondelle
Au dessus de mon jardin
Et les moulins ont encore des ailes
Dans le pays d'où je viens
L'olivier se penche à ma fenêtre
Mon amour, tu le sais bien
Tu connais le ciel qui m'a vu naître
Puisque c'est aussi le tien
Milisse Mou, Milisse mou
Parle-moi de cette terre
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Où le ciel prend sa lumière
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Parle-moi des nuits entières
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Parle-moi de la mer et de nous
Les voiliers sont les ombres fragiles
D'un rivage transparent
Le vent s'enroule à toutes les îles
Et repart comme un enfant
Les pêcheurs nous tressent des corbeilles
Et chantent au petit matin
Des chansons de démons et merveilles
Qui font rêver les marins
Milisse Mou, Milisse mou
Parle-moi de cette terre
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Où le ciel prend sa lumière
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Parle-moi des nuits entières
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Parle-moi de la mer et de nous
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Parle-moi de cette terre
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Où le ciel prend sa lumière
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Parle-moi des barques blanches
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Parle-moi de la mer et de nous
Enas Mythos
Ena mytho tha sas po pou ton mathame pedia
Ena mytho tha sas po pou ton mathame pedia
Itan kapios mia fora pou 'fige stin erimia
Ki apo tote sta vouna zouse pia me to kinigi
Ki apo tote sta vouna zouse pia me to kinigi
Ki apo misos stis yinaikes den katevi sto horio
Ki apo misos stis yinaikes den katevi sto horio
Yia to mytho pou mas lete allo mytho tha sas po
Yia to mytho pou mas lete allo mytho tha sas po
Itan kapios mia fora dichos spiti ke gonia
Itan kapios mia fora dichos spiti ke gonia
Yia tous andres ihe friki ki ena misos foyero
Yia tous andres ihe friki ki ena misos foyero
Omos oles tis yinaikes tis agapage tharro
Omos oles tis yinaikes tis agapage tharro
Omos oles tis yinaikes tis agapage tharro
It is important to note that these are actually three different songs included in this prompt, with their own sets of lyrics. "Adagio" is a song by Greek singer Nana Mouskouri, and it features lyrics in Greek. The song's title refers to a musical term used to denote a slow and graceful tempo. The lyrics talk about the singer's longing for children, and the joy and wonder that comes with parenthood. She describes a scene in which she watches ships come in and out of the harbor, and is envious of the parents with their children onboard the boats.
The singer also touches on the idea that her home is a sanctuary, and that she values her alone time on Sundays. She requests that any potential suitors not approach her on this day, which she deems her day of rest. Overall, the song portrays a woman who is content with her life, but has a yearning for the experience of motherhood.
Line by Line Meaning
Ap'to parathiro mou stelno ena dio
From my window I send two, three, and four kisses
Ke tria ke tessera filia
Those that reach the harbor and two, three, and four birds
Pou ftanoun sto limani ena ke dio
I wish I had two, three, and four children
Ke tria ke tessera poulia
When everything becomes big for the happiness of Piraeus
Pos tha 'thela na iha ena ke dio
Even though I search, I cannot find another harbor
Otan tha megalosoun ola na ginoun
It is crazy for me to be without a home from Piraeus
Leventes yia hari tou Pirea
When the nights make me sing and my mind travels back to my childhood
Oso ki an psazo
I always have trouble finding a new harbor
Den vrisko allo limani
I am going crazy, and only Piraeus can make me feel better
Trelli na m' echi kani
I can't help but laugh at my own craziness
Apo tou Pirea
From my window, no one is there to love
Pou otan vradiazi
I watch the stars from my window during the night
Tragoudia m' aradiazi
And I listen to music that only reminds me of when I was a child
Ke tis pennies tou allazi
And the memories make me grow sad and old
Yemizi apo pedia
But still, I feel like a child in my soul
Apo tin porta mou san vgo
No one comes to my door anymore
Den iparhi kanis
No one is left to love
Pou na min ton agapo
And during the night, I lay alone, without anyone to love
Ke san to vradi kimitho
And I know, I know, I cannot dream of anyone to love
Xero pos xero pos
I know how, I know how
Pos tha ton onirefto
To dream of someone to love
Petradia vazo sto lemo
I put pebbles in my garden
Ke mia ha ke mia ha
And one bee and one beekeeper
Ke mia hantra filachto
Why do the nights last so long in Piraeus?
Yiati ta vradia kartero
As I stand in the harbour, everything reminds me of my childhood
Sto limani san vgo
I am searching for someone I have not yet found
Kapion agnosto na vro
I was born here, and I will never leave
Homa pou gennithika
Even though I was born here, I still feel like a stranger
Pote mou de s'arnithika
But, I will never forget you, my beloved Piraeus.
Spiti mou spitaki mou
My home, my little home
Ayiatrefto meraki mou
My beloved's home, my preciousness
Ki an ton kosmo yirisa
Even if the world betrayed you
Konta sou xanayirisa
I would still be here for you, Piraeus.
Oh, you can kiss me on a Monday, a Monday,
Oh, you can kiss me any day that you like, except Sundays
A Monday is very very good.
Because it reminds me of my beloved Piraeus and my childhood memories
Or you can kiss me on a Tuesday, a Tuesday
Because any day reminds me of my childhood and home
A Tuesday, in fact I wish you would.
But, never on Sunday, I need that day to rest.
Or you can kiss me on a Wednesday, a Thursday,
Because I miss the warmth of someone's love
A Friday and Saturday is best.
But any day could be good to share my love
But never, never on a Sunday, a Sunday,
Because that day is reserved for my rest and relaxation
'cos that's my day of rest.
Kathe dromos echi mia kardia yia ta pedia
Every road that I walk has a love for children
Kathe kipos echi mia folia yia ta poulia
Every garden has a leaf for birds
Ma kira mou esy, san ti na les me tin avyi
My darling, you speak of my homeland
Ke kitas t' asteria pou olo peftoun sa vrohi
While you look at the stars that all fall into the sea
Dos mou ta mallia sou na ta kano proseichi
Give me your hair to make a wreath
Yia na xanarhiso to tragoudi ap' tin arhi
So that I can sing your song
Kathe spiti kryvi ligi agapi sti siopi
Every house has hidden love in its silence
Ke ena agori echi tin agapi yia dropi
But one boy has love for sale
Il ne manque pas une hirondelle
There is not a single missing swallow
Au dessus de mon jardin
Above my garden
Et les moulins ont encore des ailes
And the mills have wings again
Dans le pays d'où je viens
In the country where I come from
L'olivier se penche à ma fenêtre
The olive tree leans at my window
Mon amour, tu le sais bien
My love, you know it well
Tu connais le ciel qui m'a vu naître
You know the sky that saw me born
Puisque c'est aussi le tien
Because it belongs to you too
Milisse Mou, Milisse mou
Speak to me of this land
Parle-moi de cette terre
Milisse mou, Milisse mou
Speak to me of this land
Où le ciel prend sa lumière
Where the sky gets its light
Parle-moi des nuits entières
Tell me about the full nights
Parle-moi de la mer et de nous
Tell me about the sea and us
Les voiliers sont les ombres fragiles
The sailboats are fragile shadows
D'un rivage transparent
From a transparent shore
Le vent s'enroule à toutes les îles
The wind wraps itself around all the islands
Et repart comme un enfant
And leaves like a child
Les pêcheurs nous tressent des corbeilles
The fishermen weave baskets for us
Et chantent au petit matin
And sing at early dawn
Des chansons de démons et merveilles
Songs about demons and wonders
Qui font rêver les marins
That make sailors dream
Parle-moi des barques blanches
Tell me about the white boats
Ena mytho tha sas po pou ton mathame pedia
I will tell you a story of where I learned about children
Itan kapios mia fora pou 'fige stin erimia
It was a time when someone disappeared into solitude
Ki apo tote sta vouna zouse pia me to kinigi
And since then, only the mountains live with me
Ki apo misos stis yinaikes den katevi sto horio
And since then, half of the women do not come down to the village
Yia to mytho pou mas lete allo mytho tha sas po
For the story that I tell you, there is another story that I can tell
Itan kapios mia fora dichos spiti ke gonia
It was a time when someone lived in a long house and a corner
Yia tous andres ihe friki ki ena misos foyero
For men, there was coldness and half of a fire
Omos oles tis yinaikes tis agapage tharro
But all the women loved them with all their hearts
Writer(s): Ronnie Aldrich, Giazotto, Tomaso Albinoni, Remo Giazotto Copyright: Universal Music Publishing Ricordi S.r.l., S.I.A.E. Direzione Generale
Contributed by Hailey D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cyrilbas4695
C'est fantastique fascinant félicitations
@terciliacbrunelli2113
Essa música me transporta para as nuvens
@sedaunverkoparan250
Mükemmel
@jorgeanibalferreyra3854
Musica que ilumina nuestra alma 🎼🎼🎵🎵🎶🎶👏👏👏👏
@mariaeduardatrevisan7448
Brasil 2022 21 03 Nana mouskouri iluminação meu coração e alma parabéns ❤💝
@josy5594
Linda música p a alma 🎼🎼🎼...😍🙏
Brasil 2022 08 12
@mariaeduardatrevisan7448
Brasil 2021🐢🐦
@luispablo8328
Guatemala 2021 🇬🇹
@giannisdi1983
Greece 2021