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Stella Greka (Greek: Στέλλα Γκρέκα; born Styliani Lagada; 1 April 1922) is a Greek singer, who appeared occasionally in cinema, as an actress.

Early years

Greka was born in Athens, Attica, on 1 April 1922, the youngest of nine children in a poor family. The eldest was born in 1899. Her birth name was Lagada. Her father was born in Plaka, in 1868. He was a set designer and worked with Evangelia Paraskevopoulou, as well as having relationships with other important people, such as Pantelis Horn. At home they listened to operas and good music.

She appeared young on the music scene of the capital, and from the age of 8 the Athenian press had mentioned her. In 1942, she married the poet and director Orestis Laskos, who artistically christened her Stella Greka, because she did not want to sing as Stella Laskou. He recorded a series of hits by well-known creators such as "Let's go into the unknown", "Last night", "Turn around", "Whatever you lose", "Marina's song".

Career

Laskos convinced her to act in his film Broken Hearts (1945). Originally, Greka was going to star in G. Tzavella's Applause alongside Attikus and Dimitris Horn, but her husband turned her down to take part in his own film. Then, he played in the film Forgotten Faces (1946) by Tzavellas, alongside Emilios Veakis, Giorgos Pappas and Lambros Konstandaras. The director, who appeared in one scene of the play as a car driver, denounced his creation as his biggest failure. She continued her film career with only one more film, Marina, where she again took the lead role. The film, written by Sakellariou - Giannakopoulos and directed by the former, was a production of her best man Philopoimena Fino and was screened in March 1947. Greka was accompanied by Dimitris Myrat and Lambros Konstandara. It was a simple romance, which became a great success, due to Sakellario's direction and the songs performed by Greca.

Later life

Greka, who had divorced Laskos, went to the US in the fall of 1947, staying with her brother Aggelos in New York City. In 1950, she married the Greek-American John Avgerinos, who was involved in shipbuilding. She devoted herself to the family and left the issue of her career behind, therefore her involvement in singing in America was limited.

Greka appeared on Greek television as a guest of producer Giorgos Papastefanou. On December 16, 2013, a concert-tribute to Greka was organized in Athens, curated by Michalis Koubios, with the participation of various singers, as well as the 92-year-old Greka herself.

Greka returned to Greece in 1987 and now lives permanently in Dionysos. She turned 100 on 1 April 2022.

References

1. "Finos Film – Στέλλα Γκρέκα". 2 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
2. Επτακοίλη, Τασούλα (14 November 2017). "Στέλλα Γκρέκα: Έφηβη ετών 95". Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ (in Greek). Retrieved 21 July 2024.
3. "Η Στέλλα Γκρέκα αφηγείται τη ζωή της στη LIFO | LiFO". www.lifo.gr (in Greek). 20 November 2013. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
4. Πασσά, Μαρία (6 February 2022). "Στέλλα Γκρέκα: Η γυναίκα που τραγούδησε τα «Δύο πράσινα μάτια με μπλε βλεφαρίδες»". Pagenews.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 21 July 2024.
5. "Στέλλα Γκρέκα: Ένας θρύλος των 78 στροφών | Greek News". 24 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
6. Démopoulos, Michel (1995). Le cinéma grec (in French). Centre Georges Pompidou. ISBN 978-2-85850-813-6.
7. Πανσέληνος, Αλέξης. Ελαφρά ελληνικά τραγούδια (in Greek). Metaichmio Publications. ISBN 978-618-03-1518-9.
8. Ρούβας, Άγγελος; Σταθακοπουλος, Χρηστος (2005). Ελληνικος κινηματογραφος: 1905–1970 (in Greek). Ελληνικα Γραμματα. ISBN 978-960-406-777-0.
9. Γιαννακοπούλου, Ντόρα (6 July 2015). Μια ζωή σαν πρόβα (in Greek). Εκδόσεις Καστανιώτη. ISBN 978-960-03-5929-9.
10. Μιχαηλιδης, Γιωργος (2000). Της επανάστασης, της μοναξιάς και της λαγνείας: μυθιστόρημα (in Greek). Εκδοσεις Καστανιωτη. ISBN 978-960-03-2762-5.
11. Tachydromos (in Greek). 1990.
12. "Στέλλα Γκρέκα & Αγγελος Παπαδημητρίου: H ντίβα και ο τζέντλεμαν". ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ (in Greek). 3 July 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
13. Μαγουλά, Μαίρη. Κύματα του Βοσπόρου (in Greek). Metaichmio Publications. ISBN 978-618-03-0315-5.
14. Λιζάρδος, Αλέξανδρος Ρωμανός (1 April 2022). "Η Στέλλα Γκρέκα γίνεται 100 ετών". ertnews.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 1 April 2022.
15. "Η Στέλλα Γκρέκα γίνεται 100 ετών - Η γηραιότερη Ελληνίδα ηθοποιός και τραγουδίστρια - OLAFAQ". olafaq.gr (in Greek). 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
16. "Η Στέλλα Γκρέκα συμπλήρωσε έναν αιώνα ζωής και αυτή είναι η πλούσια βιογραφία της". Jenny (in Greek). 5 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.

• 1922 births
• Living people
• 20th-century Greek singers
• 21st-century Greek singers
• Greek singers
• 20th-century Greek actresses
• Greek film actresses
• Greek stage actresses
• Singers from Athens
• Greek women centenarians
• Actresses from Athens