Jenny Vanou, one of the most popular and stand-out Greek folk singers from the late 1970s, passed away at the “Metaxa” hospital, where she was being treated for cancer.
The folk singer, whose real name was Eugenia Vrachnou, was born in Athens in 1936 and intended to study at the School of Natural Sciences, before meeting composer Mimis Plessas. Plessas, whom she would later refer to as her mentor, encouraged her and she joined the National Broadcasting Service as a light orchestra signer.
She made her first public appearance in 1964 at the Light Music Festival of Thessaloniki, where she won the top prize with a song composed by Mimis Plessas. She quickly established herself as a duet singer, particularly with Yannis Voyatzis, and by the late 1970s she dominated the folk music scene.
In 1982 she met Tolis Voskopoulos who signed her to the Greek subsidiary of Columbia Records, which helped her achieve even greater fame and success. Throughout her career she was the principle performer and muse of many composers, such as the aforementioned Plessas, Mikis Theodorakis, Giorgos Mouzakis, Kostas Giannidis and more.
