Nana Mouskouri is synonymous with Greece, however, as well as her native tongue, Nana could also speak and sing in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. She was truly an international superstar.
As a child Nana grew up amid poverty in Athens which, at that time, was under German occupation. The arrival of American troops in Greece exposed her to the sounds of such notable singers as Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.
Nana’s love of singing and music, in general, prompted her parents to enrol her in the Athenian Conservatory of Music. She began singing on the radio and in Athenian clubs.
Continued advancement resulted in her travelling to Paris where she recorded the first of her many hits, “The White Rose Of Athens”. This recording launched her career globally, selling in excess of one and a half million copies.
In 1962, Nana recorded her first album, ‘The Girl From Greece Sings’, in the United States. Its recording was supervised by none other than Quincy Jones.
Nana, in 1968, recorded a series of television shows for the BBC, in London. These were purchased by television networks from around the world.
During her career Nana performed concerts in such countries as The Netherlands, Australia, the United States, Canada, Russia, Belgium, New Zealand, England, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany and France, as well as the continent of South America.
In September of 1979, in the city of Boston, Nana Mouskouri marked twenty years of global success.