1950's and 1960's Greek Music Videos

 Every once in a while it seems like a good idea to take a brief detour from the world of rebetika / bouzouki / drunken-zembekiko-dancing and go upscale to hear some pop; this particular video is a doozy and features the future worldwide star Nana Mouskouri.  The video quality is excellent, the dress and hairdo are exquisite, and the band is dope (plus they whistle -- this might be the only video on this blog with such enchanting whistling).  To top off everything, there is a woman in the crowd who seems to be having one of the When Harry Met Sally -- "I'll have what she's having" moments... Nana Mouskouri's career took her far beyond Greece and Greek music -- she studied opera and jazz and is best known for her work in French (I believe this video was recorded just before she emigrated to Paris).  For more head to her wikipedia page or check out your parents Long-Play albums.  At this point she is still living (if you are reading this Nana: Howdy from the great

 Here's a nifty one.   The band takes off and Ms. Giannakopoulou stumbles onto the stage (see below) and  delivers a dazzling performance to a rapturous audience.   I am guessing (with only circumstantial evidence) that this was a scene from the 1965 movie Storm ( Kataigida ) which is, according to IMDB, about the relationship between a successful male composer and a singer whose career is going downhill and who is "battling with alcohol dependence".   The action takes place in what looks like a movie theater.  To top things off, the camera cuts away to an adjoining room where some contentious dialogue takes place, probably about her condition.  Final question -- Is the bouzouki player on the right the same person who did those hot licks at the beginning of the  Panos Gavalas and Ria Kourti video? Yota Agelastopoulou (from the comments, as translated by HRH Google*) puts it much better than I ever could.  She says  A unique and unrepeatable story of the people, she shock

Nothing too offbeat or amusing here -- just a great song, a hot band, and wonderful singing... The video begins with some fine twin bouzouki playing.  Those guys know that they have something special going on and smile broadly after they pull off their riffs. This is from the 1963 movie "7 Days of Lies".  Here is the plot summary according to our friends at IMDB:  To keep the generous wedding gift by her affluent aunt, an imaginary wife enlists the help of a poor bookseller to pose as her loving husband for as long as she stays in Athens. Can he survive seven days of lying? And here are a portion of the lyrics, according to  Stojance Dezalekov (in the  comments below the video) as translated by  G oogle. You have given me bitter medicine Bitter very bitter Which if it was someone else he would have hated you But I love you, I love you   You don't hurt me, that's why you torture me You don't really love me You bully me and tear my heart apart You don't love me

The last few videos have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster, so it seems time for a beautiful and sensitive song without confetti or despairing zembekiko dancers. If you have the time and inclination, copy the notes under the video and put them through Google Translate; the story of this song, of Marinella, and of the composer and lyricist are compellingly and concisely related -- if only every Greek video came with such stories... Here's my quick distillation -- Marinella is at a turning point in her career, having broken up a successful partnership.  A more prominent artist turns down the song (rather rudely, I might add) and Marinella humbly asks if she can record it.  The result is a career defining hit and this cool video.   I should mention that, as happens in many of these videos, there seems to be little relationship between what the musicians seem to be doing and the studio recording that you hear.  On the other hand, Marinella, in a totally awesome feat that will a

Fouli Dimitriou is one of those singers who radiates joy!  If that club was in my neighborhood, I would be spending all my time there absorbing her magic... Meanwhile Michalis begins the video looking like a minor politician about to give an ag-policy speech to a rotary club in a provincial town, but livens up as he starts to sing.   Rather than obsess about his awesome haircut, the astute viewer should look to the upper left and admire the drummer.* This is from the movie Agapisa ke ponesa (I Loved and It Hurt).  Here's a plot summary via IMDB...   After a momentary lapse of judgment, an impecunious husband finds himself behind bars, losing both his freedom and his wife who's eloped with her ex-lover. Now, a desperate search for the missing mother commences. Will the family reunite? * Here is Googles translation of a comment from @lymperidisioannis:  The drummer is Vasiliadis' brother...can't remember name...excellent...!!! he was always doing havale and at some point