Stella Greka (Greek: Στέλλα Γκρέκα; born Styliani Lagada; 1 April 1922) is a Greek singer, who appeared occasionally in cinema, as an actress.[1]
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.[2][3][4]
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".[5]
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.[6] Then, he played in the film Forgotten Faces (1946) by Tzavellas, alongside Emilios Veakis, Giorgos Pappas and Lambros Konstandaras.[7] The director, who appeared in one scene of the play as a car driver, denounced his creation as his biggest failure.[8] 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.[9][10]
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.[11]
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.[12]
