Sotiria Bellou

??????? ??????? {Sotiria Bellou} (29th August 1921-27th August 1997) was born in the village of Chalia, near Chalkida, and named after her maternal grandfather, a priest. She sang in her grandfather's church choir, and developed a determination to become a singer. Her father bought her a guitar, and paid for her to have lessons. An arranged marriage ended in disaster: for throwing acid in her abusive husband's face, Bellou was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, of which she served only four months. She was released, and moved to Athens at the outbreak of World War II.

An arranged marriage ended in disaster: for throwing acid in her abusive husband's face, Bellou was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, of which she served only four months. She was released, and moved to Athens at the outbreak of World War II.

In Athens she joined the Communist party, made a living as a street musician, and played an active role in the resistance. During the Greek Civil War, her political activities led to further periods of imprisonment. In 1945 she was discovered singing in tavernas by the great rembetis Vasilis Tsitsanis, and they began to perform together. Despite the difficulties of life under the Colonels, Bellou's performances and recordings gained her a following, especially among students.

In the 1960s she began to record a series of albums for the Lyra label, which shot her to national fame and popularity. As well as her collaborations with Tsitsanis, which continued until his death in 1984, Bellou worked with many of the great musicians and composers of rembetika and laika.

Her private life was never settled, however, and her gambling was a persistent problem; towards the end of her life, the Greek government had to provide money for her support, and especially for her medical bills. When she died of throat cancer two days short of her 76th birthday, she was given a State Funeral