Stella Greca passed away at the age of 103. She was the greatest living actress to date in Greece. Stella Greka (who was born as Styliani Lagada and her stage name by which she became known was given to her by her first husband Orestis Laskos) who managed to win not only fame but also a long life was born on April 1, 1922. She appeared occasionally in the cinema and the theater as an actor but followed a long path in singing.
Greca was one of nine children in a poor family. Her father was a stage designer and had friendly relations with important people in the field, such as Pantelis Horn.
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She appeared young on the capital’s music scene and from the age of 8 the Athenian press had mentioned her. In 1942 she married the poet and director Orestes Lasko, who artistically christened her Stella Greka, because she did not want to sing as Stella Lasko. He recorded a series of hits by well-known creators such as “Let’s go to the unknown”, “Last night”, “Turn around”, “Whatever you lose”, “Marina’s song”. He refused to record, however, “Two green eyes” of 1945, as he found the lyrics of Kostas Kyousis too loose (something he later regretted) and “Liges kardies agapoune” in 1946, which the creator Michalis Souyul suggested to the then unknown Tonis Marouda, and gave him his first success.
Her recording presence was essentially limited to the two years 1946-1947. At the same time, she also sang on the radio, accompanied by the composer Kostas Giannidis, seducing King Pavlos with her voice, as it is said.
Laskos convinced her to act in his film Broken Hearts (1945). Initially, Greka was going to star in G.’s Applause. Tzavella, alongside Attik and Dimitris Horn, but her husband dissuaded her in order to participate 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, dismissed 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 shown in March 1947. Greka had Dimitris Myrat and Lambros Konstandaras by her side. It was a simple romance, which became a great success, due to Sakellario’s direction and the songs performed by Greka.
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The news of her death was announced by singer Argyris Nastopoulos.
After her separation from Orestes Lasko, Stella Greka moved to the USA in 1947, staying with her brother Angelos in New York. In 1950 she married the Greek-American John Avgerinos, who was involved in shipbuilding. She had two sons with Avgerinos, while limiting her musical activity. However, she was returning to Greece for her summer vacation.
In the 1970s, Stella Greca recorded new albums for Columbia-EMI, and reappeared on television during 1973 and 1984, bringing her memories to life. In 2013, a tribute concert was held in her honor in Athens, with the participation of many artists.
Stella Greka returned permanently to Greece in 1987, where she lived until today in Dionysos, Attica.
Source: www.zougla.gr
