Nana Mouskouri on Dylan and Cohen

Dem · Post by **Dem** » Sat Aug 23, 2003 11:38 pm

From a long interview that the internationally known Greek singer Nana Mouskouri gave to the S-Magazine of the Greek newspaper INVESTOR'S WORLD (29 March 2003)

Q. In your personal mythology except Gatsos and Hadjidakis who else we find?

A. Bob Dylan. It might be difficult to believe that, because Dylan is much more aggressive than me, but his songs overwhelm me. He has also influenced me as a person. He has even written a song for me.
Another one is Leonard Cohen who is more introverted than Dylan. His presence to my music and life was important because his songs was a kind of support for me who lived outside my country far away from my beloved persons
(NOTE I: NM is personal friends with both Dylan and Cohen and I have heard her talking more than one time about her friendship with Leonard
NOTE II: Nikos Gatsos was a poet whose many lyrics Manos Hadjidakis set into music NM started her international career by sing their songs and even to that day she always includes some of them in her concerts)

At some point the interviewer asks:

Do you think that now with the boycotage of French products in the USA they will break your records also?

Let them brake! I am a fervent supporter of President Chirac decision with whom we are friends since he was the Mayor of Paris. It is really unbelievable. Today that we are having this interview the war has not started yet and think that I received a letter from Unicef last week in which they ask us to think ways of helping 400000 Iraqi children, victims of war.
(NOTE: NM is a UNICEF Goodwill ambassador.

And here is the last question of the interview:

Would you exchange your career, the fame and the money in order to become 20 years old again?
I am very pleased with my life. With its roses and its thorns. Age you should know is a justice in life, perhaps the only justice. And I want to be grateful towards it. So, no, I wouldn't do that exchange.

For the reading and copy,
Demetris

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Sun Aug 24, 2003 5:19 am

Thanks for posting this, Demetris. Nana sounds like a very interesting and wise woman. You always bring unique details, regarding Leonard and his influence, when you post here.

Dem · Post by **Dem** » Sun Aug 24, 2003 1:14 pm

Hi Elizabeth!

Long time we didn't "talk".

How are you doing ?

Demetris

PS) Thanks for your nice words

Post by **jarkko** » Sun Aug 24, 2003 2:49 pm

Nana is one of the very few artists who have recorded Leonard's songs
in three languages (French, German, English) (in fact the only other singer
I can remember right now is Herman van Veen with his Ducth/German/English recordings).
Here are the songs by Nana:
Ballad of the absent mare/La ballade du chien on "Ballads", France 1982
Suzanne on "Fille du soleil", France 2002
The Guests on "Song for Liberty" France 1982 (in English)
The guests/Das Fest on "Wenn ich träume", Germany 1980
Jarkko

Dem · Post by **Dem** » Sun Aug 24, 2003 3:48 pm

Thanks Jarkko for this!
I didn't know those details.

Now, if anyone could point which song Bob Dylan wrote for her to sing (as she mentions in the interview) I would be grateful.

Demetris

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Sun Aug 24, 2003 7:16 pm

Actually Dylan wrote one of his best known songs for Nana Mouskouri, Every Grain of Sand.
copied from her site.....

"In 1979 I was on tour in USA and Canada presenting Roses and sunshine album. The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles was sold out. Neil Diamond and Leonard Cohen were in the public. Bob Dylan spent the night in the backstage. After the concert, he wrote for me Every grain of sand. I had many songs from Neil Diamond, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, which were big hits not only in their english version, but also in french and german. I always follow these three musicians'example."

http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/grain.html

Dem · Post by **Dem** » Sun Aug 24, 2003 10:21 pm

Thank you very much for that.

Actually I have heard describing that same event in a tv interview she gave some time ago.

Which site for Nana did you visit?

Demetris

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 12:24 am

Sorry Dem I really can't stand Nana but I do like her taste in music. Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and another one of my favorites Neil Diamond. I have just bought the "Jazz Singer" and altho very dated and pretty badly acted it is a very enjoyable film I bought "Clockwork Orange" at the same time that is a really freaky film

Dem · Post by **Dem** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 12:14 pm

"The Clockwork Orange" is a great film.
But which film is the other one? An old with Danny Thomas staring?

And how these films connect with Nana and Cohen???

Demetris

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 1:02 pm

Hi Dem - the connection is so vague as to be non-existant. You mentioned Nana liked Cohen, Dylan and Diamond. It just so happens I bought the Jazz Singer video today which starred Neil Diamond I also bought Clockwork Orange which didn't. So what is the connection? There isn't one

Sorry Dem I have haphazard thinking.

Kush · Post by **Kush** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 4:43 pm

Dem....I had read this in some magazine or something a few years ago and when you brought it up here I did a search for it and found the interview in a cached document on the site
nana.mouskouri.online.fr

this is the search link...i don't if it works as a link...it should i guess. The interview is in French and english translations are below. The point of interest is about halfway down.

http://216.109.117.135/search/cache?p=d ... index2.htm

p.s. the link does work.

p.p.s. That's priceless, Paula ! That's how great conversations go and that's how the light gets in through these cracks in conversation !!

Now if I had seen Clockwork Orange no doubt I wouldve made a comment about it.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 9:36 pm

I resisted making a comment about it, but I saw Clockwork Orange four times. Paid the way in for some friends [who couldn't afford it at the time] to see it. It was a brilliant film, and I named a cat, who came into my life on the night of my first seeing it, Kubrick. Of course, cats tend not to like the "k" sound in names, so it wasn't the perfect name. As I recall, I later renamed him for that reason, but now I can't recall what. If you get a chance, Kush, rent it.

Great to see you, Demetris, B.L.G. Buddy

. All things considered, I'm fine. I'll get with you later on details.

~ Elizabeth

Dem · Post by **Dem** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 10:46 pm

Kush thank you very much for all the information!
I was able to open the link.

Elizabeth, are you serious about that "K" in the names of cats?
And how you can know something like that?

Demetris

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Aug 25, 2003 11:44 pm

Of course I'm serious, Demetris

~ I think it has something to do with the k sounding too much like the generic "kitty-kitty" ~ cats have pride you know

. Seriously, I read it somewhere long ago, and when I changed the k sound to a softer one, the cat became more responsive. I think it's the difference between cooing with a baby and barking out commands. The softer sounds are more loving. A person's voice may follow suit, as well, making them even moreso.

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Tue Aug 26, 2003 12:12 am

Kush try and see Clockwork Orange it is an amazing film Stanley Kubrick whose film it is banned it over in England for years but you can watch it now and I am not sure whether he lifted the ban or the fact that he died meant it could now be shown with impunity.

Lizzie you have to be careful what name you give a cat don't you they will not respond to anything that is beneath them. Something regal or superior sounding is normally required to get the requiste responce.

Dem do you like Nana's music? I haven't really heard of her for years as a point of interest what are her glasses like now?