Nάνα Μούσχουρη
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Nana Mouskouri sold over 300 million albums worldwide, one of the best-selling female artists. Born in Chania, Crete, she studied at the Athens Conservatoire but was fired for singing jazz in cabarets. She broke through internationally in the early 1960s and released a jazz album produced by Quincy Jones in 1962. A member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1999, she also received multiple high honors including the Commander of the Legion of Honour. Her farewell concert in Athens drew an audience of 10,000.
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Nana Mouskouri by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Nana Mouskouri — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Expelled from the Athens Conservatoire for singing jazz in cabarets, Nana Mouskouri had already developed a passion for performance. She was born on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, and learned classical singing from a young age. The conflict between her classical training and her love for jazz set the stage for a career that would defy genres.
Mouskouri began her international career in the early 1960s. In 1962 she released a jazz album produced by Quincy Jones. Her first million records sold in Germany, marking her European breakthrough. She appeared on television shows such as The Mike Douglas Show in 1961 and Champs-Elysées in 1982. Her 2002 album Fille du soleil featured songs by Charles Aznavour, Jean-Claude Brialy, Marie Nimier, and Daniel Lavoie. She retired from touring with a final concert in Athens before an estimated audience of 10,000.
Mouskouri married Georges Petsilas in 1961; they had two children, Nicolas and Eleni, before divorcing in 1975. On January 13, 2003, she married music producer André Chapelle in Switzerland. She speaks five languages and sings in more than fifteen. From 1994 to 1999 she served as a Member of the European Parliament for the Greek conservatives.
With over 300 million albums sold worldwide, Mouskouri is one of the best-selling artists in history. She was appointed an Officer then Commander of the Legion of Honour, and in 2013 received the National Order of Quebec from Premier Pauline Marois. McGill University awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2013 for her 50-year career. She is remembered for her insistence on wearing her signature glasses on stage, a choice that Harry Belafonte initially opposed during their 1965 tour.
The complete filmography of Nana Mouskouri — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Nana Mouskouri — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Nana Mouskouri — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
Politics Frustrates Me. Artists Give Hope. They See the People, They Listen to the People, and They Know What People Need. Politicians Decide What to Do and You Are Obliged to Follow – so There Is No Freedom.
When I Was Young I Was Singing All the Time, but There Was a Time That I Started to Sing Officially – Professionally – Choosing Songs That I Could Learn Something From, but Were Not Against My Feelings. so There Were Songs of Love and Peace, of Hope. You Learn to Sing Leonard Cohen, for Example, Because It It Very Important What He Says.
I Stayed with These Glasses Because I Thought They Fitted Better with My Face Than the Others. I Wanted to Be the Way I Was. I Thought the Glasses Would Not Bother Anybody And, If I Was Sincere They Would Accept Me.
Nostalgia Is Not Something Sad. You Celebrate What Was, What You Have Gone Through.
I Prefer Not to Eat Rather Than Eating Something in a Hurry. Eating, It’s an Enjoyment. It’s a Liberty to Be Shared with Somebody. It’s Better Not to Eat Until You’re with Friends, Then It’s More Than Just a Meal. You Don’t Just Feed Yourself. You Feed Yourself with Company, with the Friends You Eat With. It’s Like That with Music. the Music I Create, It’s Like Food You Exchange. You Feed Yourself with This Music, You Share It with Someone You Love. I Share It with the People Around the World.
Little-known facts about Nana Mouskouri — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
By 2006, Mouskouri’s album sales were estimated at 250 million copies worldwide.
Although she speaks five languages, she sings in more than fifteen languages.
From 1994 to 1999 she served as a Member of the European Parliament for the Greek conservatives.
In 1965 Harry Belafonte invited Mouskouri to tour with him but told her to remove her glasses on stage. Unhappy, she threatened to quit after two days, and Belafonte relented, allowing her to perform with glasses.
On May 28, 2013, Mouskouri received the National Order of Quebec from Premier Pauline Marois for humanitarian work and her career.
She is often compared to Algerian rai singer Chaba Zahouania because of their close physical resemblance.
On May 30, 2013, McGill University conferred the degree of Doctor of Music on Mouskouri for her 50-year singing career.
Her farewell concert in Athens drew an estimated audience of 10,000 people.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Nana Mouskouri.
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