Mariza Koch is a popular Greek folk singer and was born in Athens on March 14, 1944 to a Greek mother and a German father. Her father was executed by the Nazi occupation forces the very year of her birth and Mariza and her sister Eirini grew up in her mother's native Santorini. At age 19 she returned to Athens to take music lessons. She first recorded an album - "Arabas" - in 1971 and soon established herself as a premier folk singer.
On 13 April 1976 she took part in the Eurovision Song contest, held in The Hague, Netherlands, with the song "Panagia mou, Panagia mou". This was the second entry for Greece in Eurovision, the first being in 1974. Greece did not take part in Eurovision in 1975 due to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and Eurovision allowing Turkey to participate. "Panagia mou, Panagia mou" was written in protest of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus and is an outcry against Turkish foreign policy.
Composed by Koch herself with lyrics by Michael Fotiades, Michalis Rozakis conducted the orchestra. At the close of voting, the performance had received 20 points, placing it 13th in a field of 18.
Koch was 31 years old for this performance and applied her background in Byzantine and folk music with the contemporary popular music of the 1970's to offer Europe one of Greece's best performances. It is a song to the Virgin Mary to look upon devasted Cyprus and console her people.
Lyrics in Greek
Κάμπος γεμάτος πορτοκάλια, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Που πέρα ως πέρα απλώνετ' η ελιά
Γύρω χρυσίζουν τ' ακρογιάλια, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Και σε θαμπώνει, θαμπώνει η αντηλιά
Στον τόπο αυτό όταν θα πάτε, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Σκηνές αν δείτε, αν δείτε στη σειρά
Δε θα 'ναι κάμπινγκ για τουρίστες, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Θα 'ναι μονάχα, μονάχα προσφυγιά
Παναγιά μου, Παναγιά μου, παρηγόρα την καρδιά μου!
Παναγιά μου, Παναγιά μου, παρηγόρα την καρδιά μου!
Κι αν δείτε ερείπια γκρεμισμένα, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Δεν θα 'ναι απ' άλλες, απ' άλλες εποχές
Από ναπάλμ θα 'ναι καμένα, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Θα 'ναι τα μύρια χαλάσματα του χτες
Κι αν δείτε γη φρεσκοσκαμμένη, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Δεν θα 'ναι κάμπος, 'ναι κάμπος καρπερός
Σταυροί θα είναι φυτεμένοι, όι-όι, μάνα μου!
Που τους σαπίζει, σαπίζει ο καιρός
Παναγιά μου, Παναγιά μου, παρηγόρα την καρδιά μου!
Παναγιά μου, Παναγιά μου, παρηγόρα την καρδιά μου!
Lyrics in English
Fields full of oranges, oh oh my Mother!
Where olive trees spread from end to end
Around them, the seashores shine like gold, oh oh my Mother!
And you're blinded, blinded by the intense light
When you go to this place, oh oh my Mother!
And you see, you see tents in a row
It's not a camping place for tourists, oh oh my Mother!
They're only, only refugees
Panagia mou, Panagia mou soothe my heart
Panagia mou, Panagia mou soothe my heart
And if you see shattered ruins, oh oh my Mother!
It's not from other, from other eras
It is burnt by napalm, oh oh my Mother!
Since yesterday, there are countless crumbled rocks
And if you see newly dug land, oh oh my Mother!
They're not fertile fields, fields
There will be crosses planted on them, oh oh my Mother!
Which will decompose, decompose through time
Panagia mou, Panagia mou soothe my heart
Panagia mou, Panagia mou soothe my heart