Sotiria Bellou
Sotiria Bellou (Greek Σωτηρία Μπέλλου, born August 29, 1921 in Chalcis; † 27 August 1997) was a Greek singer. She is considered one of the most important representatives of rebetiko, the music of the urban subculture.
She was born in Chalia (now Drossi in Chalkida ). When she saw the film I prosphygopoula, she decided to become a singer. After a brief marriage, she came on October 28, 1940 ( the day when the Italians invaded Greece ) to Athens and beat there by as a waitress. As a member of the communist resistance, she was arrested several times. In 1947 she discovered the eminent musician and composer Vassilis Tsitsanis, as a result they became very popular with their recordings. After the popularity of the rebetiko was generally declined in the early sixties, she managed a comeback in 1966. After her death in 1997 she received a grave in the First Cemetery of Athens, at their request, in the vicinity of the grave of her sponsor Vassilis Tsitsanis.
Sotiria Bellou always lived her own life. She was a self-confessed lesbian, lost a lot of money in the game, was generous to her friends. Her voice was rough, any sentimentality was foreign to her. She was always to what she sang. This authenticity is probably the secret of their success.