Nana Mouskouri: The Voice Of Greece 3CD Boxset

The extraordinary Nana Mouskouri vies with Madonna as the most popular female singer of all time. In a career spanning six decades she has sold 350 million records, sung in fifteen different languages.

At first Nana captivated audiences in the tavernas and nightclubs of Athens. Her early recordings were made under the auspices of the two most important post- war Greek composers, Manos Hadjidakis and Mikos Theodorakis, the former collaborating with the poet Nikos Gatsos in the creation of some of these compositions.

Nana recorded for the local Fidelity label and while in 1958 ‘Hartino To Fengaraki’ (The Paper Moon) proved a domestic hit, it was the success of ‘Ta Pedia Tou Pirea’ (The Children of Piraeus), the themesong of Jules Dassin's movie, Never On Sunday, that heralded the breakthrough. Nominated for five Academy awards, the film won the Oscar for Best Original Song, sparking unprecedented interest in Greek music and culture that helped propel Nana onto the world stage.

The Voice of Greece is a 3 cd box set presentation that concentrates exclusively on recordings made in Nana's formative years in Greece. A quantity of rare single A & B sides complement Hadjidakis' breezy, eclectic score for the German film production, Greece, ‘Dreamland Of Desire’ (Hellas i chora ton oniron), alongside selections from his "prayer-offering" to modern Greece, Lilacs Out Of The Dead Land. Also featured is the Song cycle Epitaphios - the poet Yannis Ritsos' lament inspired by the death of a Thessaloniki tobacco-factory worker during a strike - set to music by Mikis Theodorakis and orchestrated by Hadjidakis. Profoundly moving, the Epitaphios sessions stand as some of the finest work of Nana's long career.

DISC ONE: THE VOICE OF GREECE

1. XYPNA AGAPI MOU (WAKE UP MY LOVE)
2. ILISSOS (RIVER ILISSUS)
3. MIA SINNEFIA (CLOUDY SKY)
4. ERINI (IRENE)
5. KANELA-KANELORIZA (ON THE WATERFRONT)
6. TA PEDIA TOU PIREA (THE CHILDREN OF PIRAEUS) AKA NEVER ON A SUNDAY
7. TO TRAGOUDI TIS KHALIMAS (THE SONG OF KHALIMA)
8. SAN PARAMITHI SAN ISTORIA (LIKE A TALE)
9. KONTESSA KONESSINA MOU (MY COUNTESS)
10. I VROCHOULA (THE RAIN)
11. MIA MERA AKOMI (ONE MORE DAY)
12. ELA PARE MOU TI LIPI (TAKE MY SORROW AWAY)
13. I PRODOSIA (TREASON)
14. KATHE TRELLO PEDI (EVERY CRAZY BOY)
15. TO FENGARI INE KOKKINO (THE MOON IS RED)
16. XERO KAPIO ASTERI (THE LITTLE STAR)
17. TRIANTAFILO STO STITHOS (A ROSE ON THE CHEST)
18. I TIMORIA (THE PUNISHMENT)
19. O IMITTOS (MOUNT HIMMITOS)
20. HARTINO TO FENGARAKI (THE PAPER MOON)
21. GIA SENA TIN AGAPI MOU (MY LOVE IS FOR YOU)
22. O KARAGHIOZIS
23. KAPOU IPARHI AGAPI MOU (MY LOVE IS SOMEWHERE)
24. AGAPI POU EJINES DIKOPO MACHERI (LOVE IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD)
25. MAZI ME SENA (TOGETHER)
26. FASCINATION
27. POTE TIN KYRIAKI (NEVER ON SUNDAY - MAIN TITLE) - Manos Hadjidakis

DISC TWO: EPITAPHIOS

1. POU PETAXE T'AGORI MOU? (WHERE HAS MY SON GONE?)
2. CHILI MOU MOSCOMIRISTO (MY SWEET MOUTH)
3. MERA MAYOU (MAY DAY)
4. VASSILEPSES ASTERI MOU (FADING STAR)
5. ISSOUN KALOS (ISSOUN GLIKOS) (YOU WERE GOOD)
6. STO PARATHIRI STEKOSSOUN (YOU WERE STANDING BY THE WINDOW)
7. T'ATHANATO NERO (IF ONLY I HAD THE WATER OF LIFE)
8. GLIKE MOU ESSI (MY SWEET, YOU ARE NOT GONE)
9. VREXI STIN FTOXO GOTONIA
10. ENA TO CHELIDONI 11.I HARTAETI

MORE SONGS OF NANA’S HOMELAND

12.O KYR ANTONIS
13.KOURASMENO PALIKARI
14.XERO KAPIO STENO
15.TO MIKRO TO MAGAZI
16.TO TRAGOUDI TIS EURIDIKIS
17.TO KIPARISSAKI
18.I MANA MOU ME DERNEI (MY MOTHER BEATS ME)
19.ANNISTA MOU ANNOULA MOU (APOPSE SE THIMITHIKA)
20.PAME MIA VOLTA STO FENGARI
21.THALASSA PLATIA
22.PISSO AP' TIS TRIANDAFILES
23.LA LA LA
24.O KALOS KALO DEN EXI 25.BOUZOUKIA (FROM NEVER ON SUNDAY) - Manos Hadjidakis

DISC THREE: GREECE: DREAMLAND OF DESIRE (HELLAS I CHORA TON ONIRON)

THE LAND
1. A LINDEN BRANCH
GURGLING WATER / FLOWERS, BIRDS, DEER / THE IMMORTAL STONE / THE RING OF SAINT JOHN (IN 15/8)
2. TWO SMALL CYCLAMENS IT WAS THE FACE OF MAY (SHOULD YOU THIRST FOR WATER) THE BLOOD OF BROOKS / ADONIS IN THE PATHS OF HELMOS RIVER / THE BANDITS SONG (IF YOU WHISTLE THREE TIMES)
3. YOUNG MOON ATHENA

THE AEGEAN
4. A PLUME OF BLUE SMOKE A SHIP IS MOORING / MAN IN THE COURSE OF HIS MYSTERIOUS LIFE / THE OCEAN IS DEEP
5. AN OLD WINDMILL FLOCKS OF SWALLOWS / THE GREAT MONASTERY IN AMORGOS
6. ACROSS THE CUT REEDS WITH THEIR COUNTRY TIED TO THEIR SAILS (NOW THAT YOU ARE GOING TO FOREIGN LANDS)
7. ATHENS THEME
8. PELOPONNISSOS - MYSTRAS
9. PYLOS - METHONI - MANI
10. STREET IN THE MARKET
11. RIVERS AND BRIDGES
12. METEORA
13. DODONI PELLA
14. SOUNION - AEGEAN SEA
15. IOS - THEME FROM AEGEAN
16. SKYROS - SKOPELOS
17. RHODES - MIRAMARE
18. MYKONOS - WINDMILLS
19. IKARIA - KAMEROS – LINDOS SELECTIONS FROM PASHALIES MESA APO TIN NEKRI GI (LILACS OUT OF THE DEAD LAND) TRANSCRIPTION FOR SMALL ORCHESTRA (MANOS HADJIDAKIS)
20. FTOHO KOMBOLOGAKI MOU (WORRY BEADS)
21. PERIPATOS (BAXE TSIFLIKI)
22. TO DOMATIO ENAS PEDIOU (A CHLID`S BEDROOM)
23. ANDREAS ZEPOS (CAPTAIN ANDREAS ZEPOS)
24. ENA KORITSI APO TIN ALEXANDRIA (A GIRL FROM ALEXANDRIA)
25. I ORA APO TOU APOHERETISMOU (DANCE FROM THE DODECANESE ISLANDS)
26. APO TIS ZEAS TO LIMANI (FROM THE HARBOUR OF ZEA)