25 Facts About Roza Eskenazi

Roza Eskenazi was a Jewish-Greek dancer and singer of rebetiko, Greek folk music, Kanto and Turkish folk music born in Istanbul, whose recording and stage career extended from the late 1920s into the 1970s.

Roza Eskenazi's mother found employment there as the live-in maid for a wealthy family, and Roza Eskenazi assisted her with the housework.

Years later, in an interview, Roza Eskenazi admitted that her time in Komotini was a turning point in her life.

Roza Eskenazi was not to realize her dream until her return to Thessaloniki.

Roza Eskenazi had moved to Athens shortly after Zardinidis's death to pursue her musical career.

Roza Eskenazi quickly teamed up with two Armenian cabaret artists, Seramous and Zabel, who reportedly liked her because she could speak Turkish, and because she showed talent as a singer.

In 1929 Roza Eskenazi cut four sides for Columbia, three of which were amanedes and one demotic.

Roza Eskenazi was credited with being largely responsible for the breakthrough of this style into popular culture.

Roza Eskenazi, however was the star of the show, earning an unprecedented 200 drachmas per night.

Roza Eskenazi later confided to her biographer Kostas Hatzidoulis that she should have been much wealthier, just on the income from the show, but that she had a weakness for expensive jewelry and spent too much of her income on it.

Roza Eskenazi used her privileged position to support the local resistance, and hid resistance fighters and even English agents in her home.

Roza Eskenazi was able to rescue Jews in both Athens and Thessaloniki.

Roza Eskenazi spent three months in jail before a concerted effort by her German lover and her son succeeded in getting her released.

Roza Eskenazi spent the rest of the war in hiding, fearful that she might be arrested again.

Roza Eskenazi introduced them to the Allilovoithia musicians union, and within a short time, they were recording with Vassilis Tsitsanis.

In 1949, Roza Eskenazi returned to Patras to obtain a new ID card.

Roza Eskenazi gave a few concerts as well, but the real turning point in her life came when she met Christos Philipakopoulos, a young police officer almost thirty years her junior.

Roza Eskenazi eventually recorded about forty songs for Leskoviku and received about $5,000 for them.

Roza Eskenazi returned to Athens in 1959 so that she could be with him.

Roza Eskenazi bought the two of them a large house in Kipoupoli with the money that she earned in the States, as well as two trucks and some horses.

Roza Eskenazi was now in her sixties, and the music scene in Greece had changed considerably since she launched her career over four decades earlier.

Roza Eskenazi quickly adapted to the new medium and appeared on a number of shows.

Roza Eskenazi spent her twilight years in quiet, at her home in Kipoupoli, together with Christos Philipakopoulos.

Roza Eskenazi returned home briefly, but was back in a private clinic due to an infection.

Roza Eskenazi was buried in an unmarked grave in the village of Stomio in Korinthia.