Greek folk singer Domna Samiou dies at 84

One of Greece’s most famous and respected folk singers, Domna Samiou, has died at the age of 84.

Samiou had been admitted to a hospital in Athens recently with serious health problems.

She was particularly known for making Greek folk music approachable to young Greeks and foreign audiences. Her music was sold under several foreign, as well as Greek, labels.

The daughter of Greek immigrants from Asia Minor, Samiou grew up in Athens and started singing as a teenager. She began working for the National Radio Foundation (EIR) in 1954 and was responsible for researching traditional Greek music.

In 1971, Samiou began working with composer and singer Dionysis Savvopoulos and for performed tirelessly around Greece and the world for four decades.

In 1981, she helped form the Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association. In 2005, she received a national award from President Costis Stephanopoulos.

Samiou’s funeral is due to take place on Tuesday.

Ekathimerini.com