My favourite photograph: Greek singer Nana Mouskouri
AT ALMOST 80, the Greek singer is coming out of retirement – and it’s legends like Leonard Cohen who keep her love of music alive, as she tells Danny Scott
“In the early 70s I met one of my all-time heroes, Leonard Cohen. From the very first time I heard Leonard sing, his music touched my heart. It is never just a simple song – it is a philosophy, an invitation to think about this world we live in. I am not trying to compare myself to him, but I hope that my songs are a little bit like this. For me, the best music is more than just ‘la-la-la’ and romance – it must contain a message, too.
It took me a long time to realise that what you feel is way more important than your image. I wish some of the young stars today could understand that.
Leonard came to see one of my concerts in Canada and after the show, he invited me over to his house for coffee.
Some people have this image of him as very serious and pessimistic, but that is not the case. Yes, he is a deep thinker, but he is also very funny and full of life. I love being in his company.
We became friends and in February 1974 we were hanging out together in LA. We’d been to one of those music business parties where everybody is smiling and glamorous. We left early because we were going to see Bob Dylan, who was playing in town.
You should have seen Leonard and Bob together! Neither of them is what you would call a talker, so when they had a conversation it was like watching a game of chess. Everything happened very slowly and each word had so much meaning. They would always talk about music, asking each other about certain songs and lyrics.
Through Leonard, I got to know Bob a little bit, and a few years later he said, ‘Hey, I have a song for you. It’s called Every Grain of Sand.’ I don’t know if he wrote it especially for me but he said that he would like me to sing it.
Do you know what an honour that was for me? I remember thinking, ‘Nana, you are a very lucky girl.’
Even though I devoted my life to music, I never expected it to be my job. Back when I was starting out, the only famous women singers I knew of were people like Édith Piaf or Maria Callas – no one was going to take any notice of a shy girl with glasses from Greece.
Maybe it is different if you are good-looking but I did not think I was, so I was not very confident. It took me a long time to realise that what you feel is way more important than your image. I wish some of the young stars today could understand that.
Success happened quickly. At first, I was singing in bars, but I had my first hit in Germany in 1961. Then I had hits in the UK and suddenly I was making an album in America.
The following few years were incredible. I worked with people like Harry Belafonte and Quincy Jones – but this picture reminds me of the fact that music has given me so much and that I owe it so much.When I turned 70, I decided to retire. I didn’t think I could compete with the younger singers – but the songs would not let go of me. This year I am 80, so I thought I would celebrate in the only way I know how: I will sing. It is a long time since I was a little girl in Athens and a lot has changed in the world, but some things are the same. We still have conflict and war. Music was always the tool that helped me find a little peace, optimism and happiness. I hope it can still do that today.”
Nana plays three 80th birthday concerts in Britain this month: at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Thursday, at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on September 29 and at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on September 30. For tickets, call 0844 888 9991 or see ticketline.co.uk. A new CD, Happy Birthday Tour, is out now.
