"Memoirs" by Nana Mouskouri

General perception of this talented Greek singer is as of someone who succeeded in spite of her dowdy looks,kind of European version of Barbra Streisand.

Just like Streisand,Mouskouri eventually managed to polish her act and to actually look very pretty in her own way,but unlike Streisand,Mouskouri was never forceful or assertive personality - where Streisand bulldozed her way through industry,her Greek counterpart always appeared meek and apologizing,softly spoken and polite,letting music speak for itself while she stayed in the background.

What is surprising about her autobiography is how much was Mouskouri always aware of her looks - she is firm in her claim that older sister had much more talent and looks (and charm) than she ever had - most of today's stars appear to always had narcissistic streak and believed in themselves,while Mouskouri had such a big,traumatic problems with her looks that she explains her enormous success as succession of lucky breaks and collaboration with talented people who believed in her. That is why the early part of the book is the most memorable and interesting because it is really intriguing how overweight,myopic and unattractive Greek girl from nowhere managed to enchant first the local,than European,than World audience - there are some harrowing memoirs of second world war in Greece,with people starving on the streets and general chaos surrounding her childhood,than slowly music came as salvation though it didn't went smoothly because first her singing in the bars of Athens resulted in banishing her from Conservatoire where she studied classical music and occasionally she would lose a gig because elegant ladies in the audiences complained about her looks. It took a series of talented composers, aggressive promoters,producers and agents to finally break her into big time and still Mouskouri always sang with her eyes closed, letting that pretty voice out to touch audience's hearts,almost apologizing for her intrusion.

I still remember the very first impression of hearing Mouskouri's voice on some collection of her early recordings - "Paper Moon" (Hartino to fegaraki) was so heartfelt and honest that I felt almost embarrassed for her. Sure,it was a pretty voice but what was the most unusual about it was its lack of mannerisms that so many other singers always use,this was someone who sang shyly from the heart,pleading to be loved.This is more or less the tone of the whole book. Mouskouri is never boasting about her amazing success or gossiping about colleagues,hers is not a typical show-biz autobiography because her life was not a typical star life. As a child she noticed that audience in her father's cinema often seemed changed after the movie and she cleverly connected this experience to what happens when audience on her concerts really liked the music,transforming them somehow into different people. Perhaps the most constant theme of her book is the power of the art (in this case,music) and how beautiful and strong this power is,overpowering everything else that happens behind the scene (failed marriage,problems with sulky children right after the homecoming concert). In today's world we are taught to be tough and pushy but Mouskouri example shows that things can be done differently,with elegance and natural grace.