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.
Le temps des cerise
Nana Mouskouri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Et gai rossignol et merle moqueur
Seront tous en fête
Les belles auront la folie en tête
Et les amoureux du soleil au cœur
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises
Sifflera bien mieux le merle moqueur
Où l'on s'en va deux cueillir en rêvant
Des pendants d'oreilles
Cerises d'amour aux robes pareilles
Tombant sous la feuille en gouttes de sang
Mais il est bien court le temps des cerises
Pendants de corail qu'on cueille en rêvant
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises
Si vous avez peur des chagrins d'amour
Evitez les belles
Moi qui ne crains pas les peines cruelles
Je ne vivrai pas sans souffrir un jour
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises
Vous aurez aussi des chagrins d'amour
J'aimerai toujours le temps des cerises
C'est de ce temps-là que je garde au cœur
Une plaie ouverte
Et Dame Fortune, en m'étant offerte
Ne saura jamais calmer ma douleur
J'aimerai toujours le temps des cerises
Et le souvenir que je garde au cœur
The song Le temps des cerises by Nana Mouskouri is a beautiful ode to the time of cherries, a time of love, joy, and pain. The first stanza of the song talks about the arrival of the cherry season, where the birds and the lovers will be in a festive mood. The singer continues to talk about how the beautiful women and the lovers will be carefree and in love, and the mockingbird will sing better.
However, the singer warns us that the time of cherries is short-lived, and we must enjoy it while it lasts. The second stanza talks about how the singer remembers the cherry season, where they used to pick cherry earrings and falling cherry drops, which reminded them of love. The time of cherries brings joy and memories but does not last long.
The final stanza talks about how the singer will always love the time of cherries despite the pain and the memories it brings. They have a wound that will never heal, and even fortune will not be able to help them forget the memories of the time of cherries. The song leaves the listeners with a bittersweet feeling, the memories of love and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Quand nous en serons au temps des cerises
When we reach the time of cherries
Et gai rossignol et merle moqueur
And cheerful nightingale and mocking blackbird
Seront tous en fête
Will all be celebrating
Les belles auront la folie en tête
The beautiful ones will have madness in their heads
Et les amoureux du soleil au cœur
And the lovers will have sunshine in their hearts
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises
When we sing about the time of cherries
Sifflera bien mieux le merle moqueur
The mocking blackbird will whistle even better
Mais il est bien court le temps des cerises
But the time of cherries is very short
Où l'on s'en va deux cueillir en rêvant
Where we go to pick cherries in our dreams
Des pendants d'oreilles
Earrings
Cerises d'amour aux robes pareilles
Cherries of love with matching dresses
Tombant sous la feuille en gouttes de sang
Falling under the leaf in drops of blood
Mais il est bien court le temps des cerises
But the time of cherries is very short
Pendants de corail qu'on cueille en rêvant
Coral earrings that we pick in our dreams
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises
When you reach the time of cherries
Si vous avez peur des chagrins d'amour
If you're afraid of heartbreak
Evitez les belles
Avoid the beautiful ones
Moi qui ne crains pas les peines cruelles
Me, who doesn't fear cruel pains
Je ne vivrai pas sans souffrir un jour
I won't live without suffering one day
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises
When you reach the time of cherries
Vous aurez aussi des chagrins d'amour
You'll also have heartbreaks
J'aimerai toujours le temps des cerises
I'll always love the time of cherries
C'est de ce temps-là que je garde au cœur
It's from that time that I keep in my heart
Une plaie ouverte
An open wound
Et Dame Fortune, en m'étant offerte
And Lady Fortune, when offered to me
Ne saura jamais calmer ma douleur
Will never know how to calm my pain
J'aimerai toujours le temps des cerises
I'll always love the time of cherries
Et le souvenir que je garde au cœur
And the memory that I keep in my heart
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSE FERNANDO ARBEX MIRO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dunhill An
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises,
Et gai rossignol, et merle moqueur
Seront tous en fête !
Les belles auront la folie en tête
Et les amoureux du soleil au cœur !
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises
Sifflera bien mieux le merle moqueur !
Mais il est bien court, le temps des cerises
Où l'on s'en va deux cueillir en rêvant
Des pendants d'oreilles...
Cerises d'amour aux robes pareilles,
Tombant sous la feuille en gouttes de sang...
Mais il est bien court, le temps des cerises,
Pendants de corail qu'on cueille en rêvant !
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises,
Si vous avez peur des chagrins d'amour,
Evitez les belles !
Moi qui ne crains pas les peines cruelles
Je ne vivrai pas sans souffrir un jour...
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises
Vous aurez aussi des chagrins d'amour !
J'aimerai toujours le temps des cerises,
C'est de ce temps-là que je garde au cœur
Une plaie ouverte !
Et dame Fortune, en m'étant offerte
Ne saurait jamais calmer ma douleur...
J'aimerai toujours le temps des cerises
Et le souvenir que je garde au cœur !
Dunhill An
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises,
Et gai rossignol, et merle moqueur
Seront tous en fête !
Les belles auront la folie en tête
Et les amoureux du soleil au cœur !
Quand nous chanterons le temps des cerises
Sifflera bien mieux le merle moqueur !
Mais il est bien court, le temps des cerises
Où l'on s'en va deux cueillir en rêvant
Des pendants d'oreilles...
Cerises d'amour aux robes pareilles,
Tombant sous la feuille en gouttes de sang...
Mais il est bien court, le temps des cerises,
Pendants de corail qu'on cueille en rêvant !
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises,
Si vous avez peur des chagrins d'amour,
Evitez les belles !
Moi qui ne crains pas les peines cruelles
Je ne vivrai pas sans souffrir un jour...
Quand vous en serez au temps des cerises
Vous aurez aussi des chagrins d'amour !
J'aimerai toujours le temps des cerises,
C'est de ce temps-là que je garde au cœur
Une plaie ouverte !
Et dame Fortune, en m'étant offerte
Ne saurait jamais calmer ma douleur...
J'aimerai toujours le temps des cerises
Et le souvenir que je garde au cœur !
Angela Granados
Qué bellas vozes exelentes me encanta.
Charles Annez
Un très beau duo ! Merci à monsieur Aznavour pour tout ce qu'il nous a donné.
Maria Aparecida Batista de Mattos
Espetacular!!🇧🇷
Josèphe Vivier
C'EST LA PREMIÈRE FOIS QUE JE LES VOIS ENSEMBLE!!!!!!! UN SUPER DUO..............MERCI MONSIEUR CHARLES AZNAVOUR!!!!!!!!!!! UNE BELLE SOPRANO, NOTRE GRANDE NANA MOUSKOURI...........J'ADORE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nusa Javornik
50 years ago our professor of French sang this song to us on the prom ceremony. He is no more there, but all the students treasure this memory dearly in our hearts and we are going to listen to it again at our reunion these days.
Mila Vranjkovic
Hermoso. Maravillosa Nana Mouskouri. Ella es unica y siempre lo será.
Gary Wirsching
Indescribably beautiful. The song (and its meaning) and the voices of both Nana Mouskouri and Charles Aznavour in delicate harmony. Thank you for this.
Frederik2
Nana ist eine unvergleichbare Künstlerin. Ihre Stimme ist singulär; so etwas kommt nicht wieder
Simone Pascal
NANA ET AZNAVOUR . DEUX GRANDS TALENTUEUX QUI ONT RAVIS DES GENERATIONS DE FANS. MERCI POUR CE DUO MYTHIQUE.