Eleni – Greek flower on Polish soil

Eleni Tzoka (born April 27, 1956) is a Polish singer of Greek descent. She was introduced to music during her childhood, as she comes from a family with deep artistic traditions. From her family home, she carried two strong foundations – love and faith – which have helped her endure many difficult moments in life. Despite the hardships she faced, Eleni has remained artistically active for over 40 years, believing that music is a remedy for her soul.

Eleni –The Beginning of Her Career

Eleni comes from a Greek family that emigrated to Poland in the 1950s due to fears surrounding the civil war in their homeland. Her future singer’s parents chose the small town of Bielawa in Silesia as their place of residence. They intended to stay only briefly to wait out the danger but ended up living there for 35 years. Eleni often emphasizes that she feels enriched by having two homelands. The atmosphere at home was a blend of Greek and Polish cultures, which the artist fondly remembers.

In 1969, Eleni, as a 13-year-old seventh-grade student, performed for the first time in public with her school band Niezapominajki (“Forget-Me-Nots”). Between 1971 and 1975, she attended the Bolesław Chrobry High School in Bielawa, where she also developed her vocal skills by singing in the female vocal-instrumental trio Ballada. Upon graduating from high school, she also completed music school with a major in classical guitar. Eleni dreamed of becoming a music education teacher, but she was not accepted into university.

During a review of Greek bands in Świdnica in 1975, she was invited by Kostas Tzokas to collaborate with his band Prometheus, which he had founded. It was a good temporary alternative, especially since she hadn’t been admitted to higher education. She planned to stay for just a year—but ended up performing with the group for 30 years.

Eleni’s first professional debut took place on July 20, 1975, during a concert at the Sailor’s House in Gdynia, where she performed two ballads with classical guitar. While working with the band, she met Fotis Tzokas, Kostas’s brother. They fell in love and got married in 1976. That same year, their daughter was born, and they named her Afrodyta.

The Golden Era

Eleni’s first song was a composition by Kostas Tzokas titled On the Sunny Side of Life. This song marked the beginning of her serious artistic career. In 1977, the band she performed with released an album of the same name — On the Sunny Side of Life. The years 1977–1979 were filled with concerts both in Poland and abroad. In 1980, Eleni began her solo career and released her debut solo studio album titled You – Like the Sky, Me – Like a Cloud. The album became a great success and was later released in an English-language version titled Lovers. Two years later, she recorded the song A Little Bit of Earth, A Little Bit of Sun, which became a major hit. In 1983, her solo album was awarded gold status.

The following years were a fruitful period in Eleni’s artistic career. She recorded more albums and performed numerous concerts. She also sang songs in the Polish versions of the animated series Bouli and Pinocchio. Eleni took part in the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole four times: in 1984, 1990, 1991, and 1993. With her band, she released over a dozen albums, seven of which achieved gold status and two platinum. Eleni won the popular Summer with the Radio contest multiple times, earning her the title of Queen of Polish Song.

In 1994, the singer’s life and career were deeply impacted by a personal tragedy. Her 17-year-old daughter Afrodyta was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend, who could not cope with their breakup. After the loss of her beloved child, Eleni fell into despair and for a long time blamed herself for the tragedy. Her deep faith in God helped her survive the darkest times and forgive the perpetrator.

Summary of Eleni’s Artistic Work

The singer has performed not only in Poland but also in many European countries, as well as the United States, Australia, and Canada. Eleni is known for her cheerful and optimistic songs with reflective and religious themes. She has participated in many concerts and religious or charity initiatives. In 1999, she had a private audience with Pope John Paul II, during which she performed Ave Maria by Franz Schubert.

Eleni has brought numerous songs to the top of Polish music charts, including: Love Like Wine, Only in Your Hands, Ballad Hey, I Want to Love, There’s No Cure for Love, Let Summer Fulfill Dreams, For You, I Am, Fire at the Hour of Hearts, Summer Flirt, Look From Both Sides, Something of Odysseus, and Alexandria. To date, she has recorded 20 albums.

In 2006, Eleni published the book Nothing Will Defeat Love, which includes an interview with the monk Robert Łukaszuk, in which the singer talks about her life and artistic experiences. The artist and her husband live in Poznań.

Albums

Po słonecznej stronie życia (1978)
S’agapo – moja miłość (1979)
Buzuki disco (1980)
Ty – jak niebo, ja – jak obłok (1980)
Lovers (1982)
Grecja jeszcze raz (1983)
Morze snu (1984)
Muzyka twoje imię ma (1985)
Eleni… 10 (1986)
Kolędy polskie śpiewa Eleni (1986)
Miłość jak wino (1987)
Wakacyjny flirt (1990)
Sound from Greece (1990)
W rytmie Zorby (1995)
Nic miłości nie pokona (1995)
Kolędy polskie (1995)
Kolędy polskie część 2 (1998)
Moje Credo (1999)
Coś z Odysa (2001)
Miłości ślad (2013)
Statek do Pireusu (2019)

Compilations

24 Golden Greats (1991)
Złote przeboje (1992)
Złota kolekcja: Za wszystkie noce (1999)
Przystań pod gwiazdami (1992)
The Best. Muzyka twoje imię ma (2004)
Złota kolekcja: Za wszystkie noce / Miłość woła nas (2012)
40 piosenek Eleni (2015)
The Best. Muzyka twoje imię ma (2020)
The Best. Na wielką miłość (2020)

Translate: Jagoda Ładniak

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Photos come from Eleni’s official website.

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