This week saw the world’s second best-selling female singer return to the stage at Melbourne Art Centre’s Hamer Hall as part of her world tour.
Performing on the night of Tuesday 14 April, Nana graced the stage in a red flowing frock, wearing her trademark black thick rimmed glasses, the audience no doubt in awe not only of her presence and vocal ability, but the fountain of youth which the 81-year-old has tapped into.
Opened with a video compilation celebrating the long-spanning career of the artist, Nana approached the stage to boisterous applause, along with her backing band looking dapper in their suits – a sophistication that some would say has been lost in today’s mainstream music scene.
The artist played a number of early Greek favourites, including Gilekaki, Aspri mera kai gia mas, Ta paidia tou Peiraia and Odos Oneiron, along with Song for Liberty, Ave Maria, The White Rose of Athens, Smoke Gets in you Eyes and Scarborough Fair.
Although the Cretan-born star retains a youthful nervousness about her, there is an ease and comfort she presents on stage, a presence that can only be attributed to her years of experience.
Amazed at the versatility of her vocal range, jumping from classical to jazz, and from one language to another (she sang in Greek, English, Italian, French and German on the night), one of her performances was slightly interrupted due to a sore throat, with Mouskouri needing to reach for a glass of water.
Though she didn’t allow this slight intermission to frazzle her, she was extremely apologetic, but her fans did not seem to mind in the slightest, just happy to have the chance to see their white rose perform once again.
While she is on the stage, one can’t help but note that Nana engages her audience in an honest and uncensored dialogue, as though conversing with them over a cup of tea.
She admits to many personal truths, one of which is the claim to her true talent being an ability to listen to music and others, in a way that she is able to constantly learn, evolve and be inspired.
A strong and inspirational woman herself, in a moving tribute she gave recognition to the late Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse, whose great talents she acknowledged, mourning that they didn’t have the chance to make it to her age and continue to share their gift with the world, performing the song Love is A Losing Game.
Although the centre of attention, Nana remains humble, going out of her way to recognise the contributions of those on stage with her, including the sound engineers and the lighting team, who did an impressive job in capturing and enhancing the mood of the performance.
As Nana Mouskouri has grown older, so too has her audience, the three tiers of Hamer Hall brimming in a sea of white and greying hair; however, age was no factor on the night, with fans showing their enthusiasm and support for the artist by joining in with clapping, cheering and the occasional ‘opa’, as though transported for one night only back to their youth.