Nana Mouskouri: Retirement is not for her

She made her breakthrough in German-speaking countries with "Weisse Rosen aus Athen" and moved to Lake Geneva over fifty years ago. The Greek Nana Mouskouri has strong ties to Switzerland and has managed to dominate a wide variety of music markets by recording records in many different languages. Even today, toddlers are woken up with the Mouskouri hit "Guten Morgen Sonnenschein". She has recorded 134 albums and over 300 million records, making her the second most successful singer in the world, just behind Madonna. Despite all this fame, the 83-year-old remains modest. On Lake Geneva, in Lausanne, shortly before Christmas 2017, we meet a down-to-earth lady who has many interesting stories to tell. No wonder: in a career spanning over 50 years, she has experienced a lot and met a lot of people. We talk to Nana Mouskouri about her upcoming "Forever Young" tour and also about her time in the European Parliament. And she explains why retirement is not for her, why she owes a lot to the Eurovision Song Contest and why her brooch - a red ribbon - means so much to her.

Ms. Mouskouri, you speak an incredible number of languages.
Nana Mouskouri: Yes, the first one I learned back in Greece was English. My father worked in a movie theater and when the first films with sound came out, we had to put the soundtrack separately under the film. So we read and listened to the text and made sure that everything was in sync. And I learned the language at the same time.

When did you learn German?
I learned German before French. After all, Germany was the first country besides Greece where I was successful.

Did you understand what you were singing in "Weisse Rosen aus Athen"?
Sure, it's a Greek song that we translated for a Greek documentary. I had always listened to German on the side, we had German films in the cinema and my mother often listened to Zarah Leander, I was a fan of Marlene Dietrich.

Your tour next year is called "Forever Young". How young do you feel?
That's funny, people always think I'm referring to myself in the title. But the story is different. But in general, it's not about age as a number, but how young you are at heart. Being young means that you enjoy learning and are enthusiastic. Although I am professional in many ways, I also like to be treated as an amateur in order to learn new things. There is always something new to learn. That's why I've always incorporated new styles of music. And I've sung my songs in different languages and dialects. I don't like to be pigeonholed.

"AmyWinehouse made a big impression on me."

Where does the title "Forever Young" come from?
From Bob Dylan. I've sung many of his songs. When I was preparing for the "Happy Birthday Tour" three years ago, for my 80th birthday, I also looked for songs by other artists, which always shows the audience a different side of me. Back then it was "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan and "Love Is A Losing Game" by Amy Winehouse. Amy made a big impression on me.

And now Bob Dylan's song is also on this tour.
Exactly. "Forever Young" is also the title of my new album. On it, I sing a lot of well-known songs by other artists that I've never sung before. Also by Adele, Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Whitney Houston. They are unforgettable songs, songs that will be "forever young".

You completed your farewell tour in 2008 and are still going on tour. You never get enough of the stage!
That's true. My great role model Marlene Dietrich was 73 years old when she stopped performing. So I thought that was a good age to stop. I thought I could organize my life well after my last concert in Athens, but somehow it didn't work out. I was totally bored, I didn't know where I was anymore, I was desperate. My audience had always been my life, it warmed and strengthened me. And suddenly, after my last performance, I felt alone and worthless.

And after three years, you came back.
I was looking for a good reason, otherwise some people would have laughed at me for not keeping my word. The first was the 50th birthday of "White Roses from Athens" in 2011, the second was my eightieth birthday in 2013.

You will never retire.
I think retiring is like leaving the world. You stop learning when you have nothing more to do. I will stay on stage as long as I can, it has always been my home.

"I suffered a lot with my glasses at first. Everyone wanted me to take them off."

Without your glasses, you would probably never have made such an impression.
When I got my glasses as an eleven-year-old, everyone laughed at me. And I decided that I would always wear them for that very reason. At TV and photo shoots, however, everyone always said that it was a problem because the light was reflected in them. And today, glasses are the trend. I think it's great to see all the young people wearing glasses with pride. In the beginning, it was only Elton John, Michel Polnareff and me who wore glasses in public.

In 1963, you took part in the Eurovision Song Contest for Luxembourg.
I look back fondly on that performance, it opened many doors for me, even though I only came eighth. Harry Belafonte saw my performance and afterwards asked Quincy Jones, with whom I had already worked, who I was. Belafonte helped me to gain a foothold in North America. In addition, the producer of the Song Contest at the time had listened to my repertoire and offered me a program on the BBC in which I sang my own songs and invited other musicians to make music.

Sounds a bit like the "Helene Fischer Show".
Exactly, actually like that, only in English. The show brought me additional attention in Australia and Asia, as it was also broadcast there. I could hardly believe it when someone recognized me at Singapore airport.

You were a Member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 1999, but only for one term.
That was an adventure I never sought. But it was great, I learned a lot and made a lot of friends. Nevertheless, I couldn't have done it for longer than one term, otherwise I would have had to stop singing. I think I did a good job there. Nevertheless, I wanted to stay a singer.

You said in an interview that a lot of it was just about maintaining power and party posturing. Are you disappointed with politics?
Politicians have a great responsibility there, no matter which country they are in. In my opinion, it is important that countries work together more and find compromises when conflicts arise. I believe in Europe and am a great supporter of the European Community.

Do you think Switzerland should also become part of the EU?
It's not up to me to decide. Everyone should have the right to join. I like Switzerland for what it is. The inhabitants have it good. The other countries had problems or were at war, so it's probably more important to preserve Switzerland's situation.

How are you monitoring the situation in Greece?
It's difficult at the moment, partly because of the many refugees. The Greeks, like many other countries, are struggling with this situation. I am an optimist and think that we will find a solution. Greece is a wonderful country, we have a great history and should not suffer.

You gave up your pension from the European Parliament because of the financial crisis and gave the money to the Greek state. Do you still support Greece today?
Yes, wherever I can. I have supported refugees, not only in Greece, but also in other countries. I support many NGOs, including the Red Cross, that are working on this issue. It's part of my life to help too. My collaboration with Unicef in particular has helped me to understand these issues and to help.

Greece and Germany had a tense relationship, especially during the financial crisis - two important countries for you. How did you follow the situation?
I don't like it when my home country is in conflict with another country. Germany is a country that helps many, and in Greece it was only a matter of time before these problems that we have came to us. I sincerely hope that the relationship between the two countries will calm down again.

What do you think about the music in the charts today?
There has always been good music and there always will be. Nowadays, however, there are songs that are more difficult for me to understand quickly. I listen to new music slowly and don't know many artists. I think Stromae is an exceptional artist, he is so talented and has such a wide range. "Papaoutai" was the first song I heard from him.

"Forever Young" will be your 134th album. Do you still know all the songs you have recorded?
No, not at all! But I know that I have recorded so many songs. I recorded many albums in different languages and had to serve many different markets. That's why I sometimes recorded two or three albums a year. That also gave me a lot of variety, because many songs weren't repetitive. There are many songs that I only recorded in one language.

You are currently wearing a red ribbon. Why is that?
Of course it's about the fight against AIDS, which is also an issue for me as a Unicef ambassador. But this brooch belongs to a young man who came to my concert with his friend in Denmark and didn't really like my songs. However, the young man's friend organized for me to sing the Danish song "Lille Ole" at a concert. He later sent me this pin with the message that he had liked my music recently. Unfortunately, the young man died recently, so this brooch has two meanings for me.

A sad, but at the same time beautiful story. Will you be singing a Swiss-German song in German-speaking Switzerland?
That's funny, I actually do it everywhere, but I've never sung in Swiss German! If you know a song that fits, let me know.

What is the key to success in the music industry?
I don't think anyone knows it. The most important thing is to believe in what you do and to present your work credibly.

NANA MOUSKOURI "FOREVER YOUNG"
Mon 12.3.18, KKL Lucerne
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