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.
Libertad
Nana Mouskouri Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cuando lloras también lloro tu pena
Cuando tiemblas yo rezo por tu libertad
En la dicha o el llanto yo te amo
Recordar días sin luz de tu miseria
Mi canción olvide por un tiempo quien eras
Cuando cantas yo canto con tu libertad
Es tu religión o quizás realidad
Una idea que a todos nos cambia
Creo yo que eres tu la única verdad
La nobleza de nuestra humanidad
Por tenerte se debe luchar
Esperarte si desfallecer
Cuando cantas yo canto por tu libertad
En la dicha o el llanto yo te amo
La canción de esperanza
Es tu nombre y tu voz
Y la historia nos lleva
Hacia tu eternidad
Libertad libertad
The lyrics of Nana Mouskouri's song Libertad are about the idea of freedom, and the strong feelings of empathy and solidarity that come with it. The singer talks about how she feels connected to someone else's struggles, even though they might be different from her own. When that person sings, she sings with their freedom. When they cry, she cries with their pain. When they tremble, she prays for their freedom. And in both joy and sorrow, she loves them.
The song speaks to the idea that freedom is a universal human right, something that we should all fight for, regardless of the differences that exist between us. It's a call to action for those who believe in the power of love and the strength of solidarity. The lyrics suggest that, if we work together, we can create a better world where everyone is allowed to be free.
Overall, the song Libertad is a powerful reminder of the importance of freedom for all people, and the connection that we have with others who struggle to achieve it. It's a message of hope, love, and struggle, all expressed through the beauty of Nana Mouskouri's voice.
Line by Line Meaning
Cuando cantas yo canto con tu libertad
When you sing, I sing with your freedom
Cuando lloras también lloro tu pena
When you cry, I cry for your sorrow
Cuando tiemblas yo rezo por tu libertad
When you tremble, I pray for your freedom
En la dicha o el llanto yo te amo
In happiness or sorrow, I love you
Recordar días sin luz de tu miseria
Remembering days without light from your misery
Mi canción olvide por un tiempo quien eras
For a time, my song forgot who you were
Cuando tu estas ausente yo espero
When you're absent, I wait
Es tu religión o quizás realidad
Is it your religion or perhaps reality
Una idea que a todos nos cambia
An idea that changes us all
Creo yo que eres tu la única verdad
I believe you are the only truth
La nobleza de nuestra humanidad
The nobility of our humanity
Por tenerte se debe luchar
We must fight to have you
Esperarte si desfallecer
Waiting for you without fainting
La canción de esperanza
The song of hope
Es tu nombre y tu voz
It's your name and your voice
Y la historia nos lleva
And history takes us
Hacia tu eternidad
Towards your eternity
Libertad libertad
Freedom, freedom
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GIUSEPPE VERDI, DP, JAMES LAST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@susananunezsaucedo935
Hermosa canción, bella interpretación.
Cuando cantas, yo canto con tu libertad
Cuando lloras, también, lloro, tu pena
Cuando tiemblas, yo rezo por tu libertad
En la dicha o el llanto, yo te amo
Recordar un día sin luz , de tu miseria
mi país olvidó por un tiempo quien eras
Cuando cantas, yo canto con tu libertad
Cuando tu estás ausente yo espero
Es tu religión o quizás realidad
una idea revolucionaria
Creo yo, que eres tu, la única verdad
la nobleza de nuestra humanidad
Por salvarte se puede luchar
esperarte sin desfallecer
Cuando cantas, yo canto con tu libertad
en la dicha o el llanto, yo te amo
La canción de esperanza
es tu nombre y tu voz
y la historia nos lleva
hacia tu eternidad
Libertad
Libertad
@movimientoproecologia8770
Libertad
Nana Mouskouri
Cuando cantas yo canto con tu libertad
Cuando lloras también lloro tu pena
Cuando tiemblas yo rezo por tu libertad
En la dicha o el llanto yo te amo
Recordar días sin luz de tu miseria
Mi canción olvide por un tiempo quien eras
Cuando cantas yo canto con tu libertad
Cuando tu estas ausente yo espero
Es tu religión o quizás realidad
Una idea que a todos nos cambia
Creo yo que eres tu la única verdad
La nobleza de nuestra humanidad
Por tenerte se debe luchar…
@nandafer0619
Cuando cantas, yo canto con tu libertad
Cuando lloras, también lloro tu pena
Cuando tiemblas, yo rezo por tu libertad
En la dicha o el llanto, yo te amo
Recordar días sin luz de tu miseria
Mi país olvidó por un tiempo quien eras
Cuando cantas, yo canto con tu libertad
Cuando tú estás ausente, yo espero
Es tu religión o quizás realidad
Una idea revolucionaria
Creo yo que eres tu la única verdad
La nobleza de nuestra humanidad
Por salvarte se puede luchar
Esperarte sin desfallecer
Cuando cantas, yo canto por tu libertad
En la dicha o el llanto, yo te amo
La canción de esperanza
Es tu nombre y tu voz
Y la historia nos lleva
Hacia tu eternidad
Libertad libertad
@gabrielantoniorodriguezara8581
Ella es Soprano lírico.
Qué voz , más Armoniosa oirla con audífonos y meditando , es Maravilloso.
Es sin duda un Don de Dios.
Además su humildad la engrandece al igual qué el título de ese himno.
" LIBERTAD".
@mariainezbatistarosabatist9877
Ótima lembrança.
@FRamos-fb2lm
Me la imagino contándole a Dios en Él Cielo,Él Único sitio qué tendremos LIBERTAD DE VERDAD.!!!!.AMÉN.
@mihaelamanea3500
O voce minunata asemenea unui inger
Maria din București RO
@abelardoherreracastro2908
no entiendo porque esas manitas abajo si no les gusta pues que se salgan y ya me parece un iinsulto para este tema tan hermoso cantado por un angel
@aliciapedevilla6943
Dulce Nana. Ángel en la tierra. Gracias desde Argentina
@juanawerleman6999
Soy juana werleman de ARUBA la isla del caribe. 🇦🇼🇦🇼🇦🇼🙏 ami me tu voz y todo los leguage usted canta special en navidad, Anjo nuevo Gracia .
@patriciariquelme274
Aww me emocioné al escuchar tan hermosa canción lo ase perfecto canta PRECIOSO.....
LA LIBERTAD ES LO MÁS IMPORTANTE Y HERMOSO DEL SER HUMANO SI LO ES ..GRACIAS POR SUBIR CONTENIDO SALUDOS DESDE CHILE LLAYLLAY
@antonioperez.5980
Esta mujer tiene canciones verdaderamente memorables. Siempre ponen la misma.
@palleter1936
Con 85 años...no me doy cuenta y la tatareo de cuando en cuando. Así me caló de hondo. Gracias, Nina.