There are times when it does not take much to become a world-famous superstar: square glasses and long, straight hair have made Nana Mouskouri instantly recognisable worldwide, from Peking to Paris, via Tokyo and, of course, Athens. No irony intended: the singer’s enormous talent has also contributed to her international stardom. Though the Greek singer, who also held a seat in the Parliament in Strasbourg, has been somewhat forgotten in Europe, Nana Mouskouri is still tremendously successful in Asia and America, making her still the best-selling female singer in the world.

Joanna Mouskouri (or loanna when retranscribed from the Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet) was born on 13 October 1934 on the banks of the Aegean Sea in Crete. Enrolled in the Hellenic Conservatory of Athens at a fairly young age, she initially studied mainly classical music. While learning to play the piano, the young loanna also became a remarkable vocalist, thanks in particular to being endowed with an important asset: asymmetrical vocal chords that allow her voice to reach high notes and produce crystal-clear tones with ease. Nonetheless, her early singing experiences did not involve classical music. The 1950s saw young Greeks abandon traditional Hellenic songs and dances in favour of dancing the Jerk to pop music in dance halls across Athens and Salonica.

Trip to Piraeus for OSS 117

Loanna, nicknamed “Nana” by her friends, started out in a jazz quartet with the rather unoriginal name of "The Athenians". The quartet honed their act by performing in front of (sometimes rowdy) audiences in bars across Athens. It was during one such performance that the young female with the unusual voice was spotted by the producer and composer, Manos Hadjidakis. Taking Nana Mouskouri under his wing, Hadjidakis became the mentor of the astigmatic and myopic singer, introducing his discovery to intellectual circles across the Greek capital. It was during the parties organised by the composer that Mouskouri would met her quasi-homonym, the actress and singer, Melina Mercouri, wife of the director Julius Dassin, and step-mother of the future Joe Dassin. 1959 saw the release of Nana Mouskouri´s first single, “Kapou Yparhi i Agapi Mou”.

Guided by Hadjidakis and Dassin, Nana contributed to writing the song, “The Children of Piraeus” for Melina Mercouri, which would become the hit single on the soundtrack for the film "Never on Sunday" produced by the American director. Winning a talent show a few months later enabled the Athenians to break out of their enclave in the capital and become known as a group throughout Greece. The calendar began to fill up with events, concerts and galas. By this time, Nana Mouskouri's thick-rimmed glasses and her sensible (if not to say serious) appearance had already made a huge contribution to the group’s image. Thanks to skilful coaching from Manos Hadjidakis, Nana Mouskouri very quickly became a hit throughout Greece. On leaving Athens in 1960 to follow her own path, she was asked to attend numerous official ceremonies by the prime minister of the time, Constantin Caramanlis, a fan of hers from the very beginning.

So it was that she performed during the official visits of alucky few that included Robert Kennedy, Juan Carlos, the future King of Spain, and Aristote Onassis. With Caramanlis' backing, Nana Mouskouri became a source of national pride, accounting alone for a significant proportion of Greek exports at the time. Her success at a range of international song contests turned her into a quasi-official, high-profile ambassadress for her country abroad. Her appearances on European and American stages represented an opportunity to remind people that Greek culture still existed and had never been stronger. Indeed, it was not uncommon for Mouskouri to impress audiences with her performances of works from the famous Greek poet, Nikos Gastos. Maria Callas would also prove to be a source of good advice for Nana on her future career.

Paris-New York

In 1960, Nana decided to leave her native country for a while and move to France to take up a golden opportunity to join the fold of the record company Philips. With her living expenses covered by Philippe Weill, Philips’ Artistic Director, Nana proceeded to live the high life in the Parisian capital. She discovered French music including Edith Piaf, who had a profound impact on her, and Jacques Brel, with whom she became very good friends - to the point where she would move heaven and earth to introduce him to the Greek public.