Nana Mouskouri

Nana Mouskouri’s international breakthrough came in 1961 with the German-language single ‘Weiße Rosen aus Athen’ (‘White Roses of Athens’), selling over a million copies in Germany and becoming a signature hit. Prior to this, her early talent was recognized with first prize wins at the Greek Song Festival in 1959 and the Mediterranean Song Festival in Barcelona in 1960 for ‘????? ????? ???.’ Mentored by Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis, Mouskouri developed a unique vocal style capable of spanning alto to coloratura mezzo, fostering her ability to perform in multiple languages including Greek, French, English, German, and Spanish, which significantly broadened her global appeal. Her career rapidly expanded with a jazz album produced by Quincy Jones in 1962 and representing Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1963. She recorded the theme song for ‘The Umbrellas of Cherbourg’ in 1964 and, from 1968 to 1976, hosted her own BBC television show, ‘Presenting Nana Mouskouri,’ solidifying her international star status.

Mouskouri released the album Forever Young in 2018. In 2024, she performed ‘La Marseillaise’ and the Greek anthem at the Olympic Handover in Athens and released four new albums. Looking ahead to 2025, her track ‘Guten Morgen, Sonnenschein’ is poised to become a viral hit following its feature in the Netflix series ‘Cassandra.’ Her estimated career sales exceed 300 million albums worldwide.