Nana Mouskouri @ Bridgewater Hall
Stuart Greer
1/11/2007
Live reviews
I wonder what it must feel like, touring the world for 40 years, standing on hundreds of different stages, singing to adoring audiences of all creeds and colours, and then to finally decide enough is enough. That thought could not have been that far away from Ioanna "Nana" Mouskouri as she performed to an adoring audience in Manchester for the last time.
At 73-years of age Nana is in the midst of her farewell tour: she has finally decided to hang up her Tsarouhias. But, not until she’s finished belting out some of the classics that made her Greece’s classiest export and demonstrating why she has won over so many with her distinctive vocal style which resonates somewhere between a clinical soprano and a sultry jazz club singer.
Nana arrives on stage wearing a glittering red two-piece and iconic spectacles. She soaks up the applause before opening with a soaring version of ‘Amazing Grace’.
What follows is two hours of an ageing singing star whose pure joy and escapism from singing eminates from every pore of her.
Raised in Crete during the time of Nazi occupation, Nana’s film projector father pushed her towards classical musical training, but her rebellious love of jazz lead her on another path. Later a meeting with Quincy Jones helped her on her way to selling an unthinkable 350 million albums.
Nana moves effortlessly through folk tunes like ‘Loch Lomond’ and ‘Song for Liberty’ into classical songs in French, Italian and German - only three languages in her linguistic armoury - before taking on renditions of pop songs like ‘Love Changes Everything’ and the ultra-smooth ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’.
There’s also time for her signature ‘White Rose Of Athens’ as she graciously receives yet another bouquet of flowers at her feet.
As you’d imagine there are points when Nana’s 73-year-old voice crackles to a halt and you feel yourself wondering if this last tour is a decade overdue, but rather than blush with embarrassment, Nana takes her shortcomings with a class and dignity.
Throughout the night she is brimming with gratitude for the years of attention and devotion from fans, and as she leaves the stage blowing kisses into the air, what’s clear is, this final performance is not so much as farewell, but thank you.
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