This Friday, January 3, 2025, journalist Mireille Dumas revived a striking sequence from her show by sharing on TikTok an extract from an interview conducted in 2010 with Nana Mouskouri and her daughter, Lenou Petsilas. In this moving exchange, the singing star lifted the veil on the compromises what she had to do as a mother and an artist.
Nana Mouskouri: a life dedicated to song and her children
“I have missed a lot of amazing moments from my children. I wasn’t there to rejoice or cry with them“begins by confessing Nana Mouskouri in the extract shared by the 71-year-old journalist. The former Greek MEP explains that her career, much more than a passion, was a way to provide for the needs of her children and offer them a better life than her own.
“I had a very difficult life growing up because I was rejected when I was little. The song was about love, but also about the way I made my living.” continues the one who was recently the victim of an incident in Greece. A confession which illustrates the dilemmas experienced by this devoted mother: to be physically present or to provide them with material security.
A monumental but demanding career, “sheltering my children”
With more than 350 million records sold and nearly 300 gold records, Nana Mouskouri is a living legend. But behind this phenomenal success lies a complex reality, marked by personal sacrifices. As the singer confides in this interview, “sheltering my children” was her top priority, even if it meant being away from them for long periods of time.
Her son Nicolas (56 years old) and her daughter Lenou (55 years old), born from her first marriage to Yorgos Petsilas, grew up with a mother who was often absent. “Mom is like the dove, she comes, she lands, then she flies away“had already confided Nicolas in the show The Couchillustrating the repeated absences of a mother entirely devoted to her art and her mission.
The legacy of a timeless icon
Now aged 90, Nana Mouskouri has decided to bow out. On the occasion of her birthday, the latter released a double album, 90th birthdaybringing together his greatest hits. A way for her to celebrate her career while announcing her definitive departure from the stage, with fragile health. “I think I’ve done enough.”, she told the magazine The mirror.
For Nana Mouskouri, married to André Chapelle for more than 20 years, this retirement is a choice dictated by the respect she has for her audience and for music. “I can’t pretend to be a young woman. I’m not allowed to go on stage and sing badly“, she confided. Now, the retired singer aspires to enjoy her free time with her loved ones and savor the fruits of an exceptional career.
