Marika Ninou: The Armenian Refugee and the Incomparable Star of Rebetiko

Authors: Tassos Kaklamanis, Vahé Tachjian, 30/07/24 (Last modified 30/07/24) - Translator: Tamar Marie Boyadjian. This page was prepared collaboratively with the “Armenika” periodical of Athens.

Marika Ninou is one of the most celebrated artists in the history of Greek music. She is a renowned performer of the Rebetiko genre, which became popularized in the 1940s and 1950s. To this day, her songs have not grown outdated and continue to remain greatly popular.

In these pages, our goal is not to present the figure of Marika Ninou to you as merely an artist. Rather, we will focus on her Armenian origins and on her family history. Regardless of the fact that she is incredibly well known in Greece, she has remained generally unfamiliar to the rest of the world.

There are a few accounts that describe the birth of Marika Ninou. The most probable is that she was born in 1921 while a Greek ship, traveling with refugees, was journeying from the port of Mersin to Smyrna. At the initiative of the ship’s captain, the baptism of this newborn Evangelia is carried out on the ship.

One thing we know for certain is that Marika Ninou was born on the roads of exile, when the Atamian family was traveling from Cilicia to Smyrna, and later when their aim was to reach Greece, searching for a peaceful corner to start a life away from the massacres and deportations. The newborn was given the name of Evangelia, but people around her would refer to her as Vangelia or Vangel. In the certificate of her first marriage, her name is recorded as “Vanouhi-Evangelia Atamian.”

Marika Ninou’s pregnant mother Simagul (they called her Sima) Atamian (nee Kehyayan in 1893), her father Haig Atamian, and their three children Arshagouhi (born 1912), Barkev (born in 1915), and Koharig (born 1917) had joined the mass exodus of Armenians from Cilicia, which had culminated at the end of the year 1921.

These Armenians were mostly survivors of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. By the end of World War I, they had been living in exile in the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire for three or more years. After the Armistice, the Arab East and Cilicia were occupied by Allied forces, primarily the British, who had emerged victorious from the war. It was under these conditions, starting from the year 1919, that the resettlement of Armenians in Cilicia was organized. Many of them were already residents of these places; therefore, it was just a matter of returning to their birthplaces after they were exiled from them. A new historical phase was beginning for Armenians in Cilicia. After the horror of the Genocide, this was a new beginning for the survivors. The Ottoman Empire had reached its end; a period of restoration had begun for the Cilician Armenians under the protection of British, and later the French administration and troops.

But this phase of a new life would be incredibly short-lived. On 13 October 1921, the government of France signed a pact with the leader of the Turkish government, Mustafa Kemal (future Atatürk), which stated that the entire territory of Cilicia would be ceded by France to Turkey in the coming few months.

It was under these circumstances that the final exile of the Atamian family, along with thousands of other Armenians from Cilicia, took place; these Armenians travelled towards surrounding countries and cities, primarily to: Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Smyrna, Greece.

The Atamian family was from the Cilician city of Sis (present-day Kozan). Sima Atamian (nee Kehyayan) was born in Sis. Her father’s name was Kevork and her mother’s Sultan. Her husband, Haig Atamian, was born in Gesaria/Kayseri, but had later moved to Sis. He was a watchmaker, as well as a well-known oud and violin player in Sis. Their first three children were born in Sis: Arshagouhi, then Barkev and Koharig. It is interesting to note that Marika Ninou, in her marriage certificate of 1940, has also indicated her birthplace as Sis—even though we know she was born on the road during the exodus.

This is the same Atamian family who, in 1922, arrived as refugees to Smyrna.

After reaching the port at Smyrna, one can assume that the Atamian family settled in the nearby city of Menemen. We do not have many details about the life of the Atamian family during this time, but we do know that their stay there was very short-lived.

It was at this time that the Turkish armies occupied the region of Smyrna; as a result, the Christian population (mostly Greeks) began their exodus towards Greece. However, the Turkish soldiers forbade the adult, Christian men to leave; they would be arrested, and many were killed. It is said that during those horrid days, Haig Atamian was also arrested and then killed. Sima and her children managed to join the mass emigration; they embarked on a boat and finally reached Greece. Originally, they disembarked at the island of Lesbos; after staying there for some time, the family moved to the Greek mainland. There is another account of the murder of Haig Atamian which claims that he had already been killed in Cilicia, and that he was not with his family when they reached Smyrna.

With the aid of these families, the Atamians managed to build their hut-like dwelling in the refugee camp. Their home, located at 50 Megharon Street, had a tin roof that leaked when it rained. The Suda River ran nearby; and by the end of the 1920s, the Zavarian School would be constructed on the other side of the river.

Sima Atamian began working at the home of their neighbor, known as “Kara” Sima (with “kara” meaning “black” in Turkish), who prepared and sold bulgur. To distinguish between them, Sima Atamian was called “Gök” (meaning “sky” or “blue” in Turkish) due to her blue eyes, while her neighbor was referred to as “Küçük” Sima (meaning “small” in Turkish). The family faced significant difficulties in making a living. As a result, Barkev, who was barely nine years old, started working as a shoeshiner on the streets. Later, he apprenticed in metalworking and worked as a craftsman in another shop before eventually opening his own workshop in Kokkinia. Additionally, in Kokkinia, he opened a kebab house where he worked in the evenings after finishing his duties at his workshop. His sister, Koharig, assisted him in the kebab house.

Marika Ninou grew up under extremely challenging conditions. The first educational institution that she attended was the Armenian school attached to the Saint Hagop Church in Kokkinia. She also attended the Vienna Mekhitarist School in Kokkinia, located next to the Armenian Catholic Church of St. Teresa. During this time, her vocal coach and music teacher was Aris Kalfaian (later known as Father Garabed), who quickly recognized her vocal talent. He encouraged her, frequently featured her in school assemblies, and welcomed her into the church choir.

Additionally, Aris Kalfaian provided Marika Ninou with private lessons, where he offered her voice training, taught her to read music, and instructed her in playing the mandolin. In essence, it was Aris Kalfaian who guided Marika Ninou towards a career in music and singing.

Marika Ninou held great respect for her teacher. In the 1950s, while on tour in the United States, she deeply wished to visit Aris Kalfaian (or Rev. Father Garabed Kalfaian), who was a priest in Yettem, a township near Fresno with a significant Armenian population. However, Marika became hesitant to visit him: the man who once encouraged her to pursue classical singing. Likely influenced by the prevailing attitudes of the time, Marika felt that being a Rebetiko folk singer (ρεμπέτισσα) carried a certain stigma and did not compare to the role of singing the soprano in opera. As a result, she ultimately decided not to reach out to her former teacher in California.

Like the majority of Armenians from Sis, the first language for the members of the Atamian family was Turkish. They spoke Turkish with one another, even though they were more or less fluent in Armenian. Therefore, Marika Ninou grew up among family members, relatives, and neighbors who primarily spoke Turkish. She learned Armenian and Greek in school and from her Kokkinia environment; later, she also learned English. When she began her career as a singer, Marika Ninou added a few Turkish songs to her repertoire. In Greece, there was a high demand for this, since there was a large number of Turkish-speaking Greek refugees from the Ottoman Empire. Marika Ninou sang in Turkish, but with Greek pronunciation. But, compared to other Greek singers of her time, that pronunciation was less stressed because she had a great handle on the Turkish language. In the 1950s, when she left for the United States, she wrote letters back to her relatives in Greece using Armeno-Turkish (Turkish written with Armenian script). It is even with Turkish that her first attribute is assigned to her: “Deli” (crazy)—it’s her wild appearance and her boldness in song within the conservative environment surrounding her that got her that name: “Deli Marika.” She sang freely, in a projected voice; she sang inside her home, outside of it, amongst her friends—all the while playing the mandolin. All this was frowned upon by those around her, and for whom this confident, vivacious, and fiery woman became known as “Deli Marika.”

Perhaps it was the pressure, the whispers, and the gossip around her that forced Marika’s family to marry her off at the young age of seventeen.

Her elder sister Arshagouhi was already married to Krikor Aroudjian and they had emigrated together to Argentina. Her other sister Koharig married later, around the year 1935, to an Armenian man with the family name of Yormezlian; they had three daughters together. From her brothers and sisters, the last to marry was Barkev. In 1945, he married Haygouhi, the daughter of Bedros and Gyuilizar (maiden name Svaslian) Kalpakian. Gyuilizar was born in Konya. Barkev and Haygouhi Atamian had two daughters, Gula and Arshalouis. Marika Ninou became Gula’s godmother, and her godfather was Marika’s son Hovhannes.

Haig Mesrobian, born in 1919 in Afyonkarahisar, was a refugee living in Kokkinia, and the son of Parsegh and Isgouhi. Haig was a locksmith, and his shop was in Kokkinia. Haig and Marika were married on 25 June 1939 in St. Hagop Church in Kokkinia. Their godfather was Krikor Der Sahagian, and Rev. Father Giragos Neredian married them. Like the Atamian family, both were from Sis and lived in Kokkinia.

The following year, on 3 April 1940 their son Hovhannes (Yanaki) was born. They baptized him on 12 September 1940 in the same church where they were married. Krikor Der Sahagian becomes the child’s godfather, and the priest who baptized him was Rev. Father Hovhannes Viranian. This new-formed family lived on Kokkinia’s Dzavella Street, and Haig Mesrobian’s mother also resided with them. 

Marika Ninou’s first marriage did not last long. The couple argued constantly and finally divorced either in the year 1941 or 1942. Around this time, Sima Atamian passed away (either in the year 1942 or 1943). Haig remarried a woman named Sirvart (last name unknown), and their first child Parsegh was born in Greece. In the year 1946 or 1947, Haig and his family departed for Soviet Armenia with thousands of Armenians who migrated there from Greece.

After the couple’s divorce, Marika returned to her mother’s home on Megharon Street. It was there that she spent the challenging days of World War II, during the German occupation of Greece. Famine had gripped the country, making it extremely difficult for refugee families, like the Atamians, to find food on a daily basis. Marika and her brother Barkev were often compelled to visit surrounding villages, where they bartered goods with the locals, exchanging embroidery for small amounts of bread or vegetables.

Barkev Atamian also had a beautiful voice. In the 1940s, both sister and brother were cantors at the St. Hagop Church, singing hymns during the Sunday liturgy and church holidays. Marika Ninou’s version of the hymn, “Where are you Mother?” was extremely popular. It’s reported that when Ninou was present, more Armenian and Greek believers attended Church; they came to specifically listen to her attractive voice. When family and relatives gathered together in homes to celebrate holidays, the two would also sing Turkish compositions that were familiar to many of the refugee Armenian. Notable among these was the song, “Ümitlerim hep kırıldı” (“My hopes were always broken”). It is also noteworthy that in Costas Ferris’s 1983 film, Rembetiko—which is the fictional story of Marika Ninou’s life—this Turkish song is used as part of its soundtrack.

In the 1940s, Marika met the Greek acrobat Nikos Nikolaides, known as “Nino,” and married him. Together, they formed an acrobatic team known as “The Duo Nino” (Ντούο Νίνο). Later, Marika’s young son Hovhannes joined the act, and the group became known as “The Two-and-a-Half Nino” (Δυόμισι Νίνο). The trio performed across various cities in Greece. During this period, Evangelia Atamian adopted the stage name “Marika Ninou.”

After Greece was liberated from German occupation, the family settled in the Egaleo neighborhood of Athens, and the group began performing in various playhouses throughout the capital. The end of World War II also marked a resurgence of Rebetiko and Bouzouki music. During this period, an increasing number of female singers emerged on the stage, including Marika Ninou.

The following episode is often cited as the beginning and impetus for Ninou’s career in Rebetiko. During an acrobatic performance at the Salamis port near Athens, an admiral requested that Ninou sing a song in Turkish. Ninou began to sing a tune she had learned from her mother. Among the audience was actor Petros Kyriakos, who was captivated by her voice. Moved by her performance, he introduced her to Manolis Chiotis, with whom Ninou later recorded her first songs.

The following year, Ninou collaborated with one of the leading Greek composers of the time, Vasilis Tsitsanis. Their partnership propelled Ninou’s fame to new heights, making her one of the most popular singers in Greece. During this period, Marika’s career gained significant momentum: she recorded more songs and sold many more records. Marika Ninou, like a shooting star, played a key role in revolutionizing modern Greek popular music during her bright but brief singing career, thanks to her exceptional talent and stage presence.

After she became a well-known singer, Marika Ninou tried to hide her Armenian heritage. While Greece offered a new, safe beginning and a place for rehabilitation, countless Armenians faced discrimination for decades based on state laws. It was nearly impossible for them to obtain Greek citizenship and enjoy full rights. Expectedly, Marika experienced this type of discrimination as a refugee in Kokkinia and later during her singing career. Armenians in Greece lived as refugees and carried something referred to as Nansen passports. It was not until the late 1960s that Armenians could finally gain Greek naturalization. Marika was supposed to receive Greek citizenship after marrying Nikos Nikolaides, but her marriage did not extend this citizenship to her family. For example, her son Hovhannes (Yanaki) remained the child of a non-Greek refugee until he obtained Greek citizenship in the 1960s. It is believed that Marika Ninou’s Greek name was not a mere coincidence. In the Greek environment, to avoid racial prejudices, she often presented herself as either a Greek from Pontus or Asia Minor. The esteemed writer Elias Petropoulos noted, “The Greeks are unfamiliar with the fact that the great singer of Rebetiko was not Greek. Marika Ninou was Armenian on both her father’s and mother’s side.”

In October 1951, the Ninou-Tsitsanis duo was invited to Turkey, where they performed concerts for one and a half months in Istanbul, particularly at the Kazablanka Kazinosu (Casablanca Music Hall). The information about her life during this period comes from pianist and accordion player Evangelia Margharoni, who toured with them. During this trip, Tsitsanis warned Ninou not to reveal her Armenian heritage or speak Armenian, as it might make the Turks uneasy, provoke a negative reaction, and possibly lead to the tour being canceled. However, during a show at Casablanca, Ninou noticed Armenian speakers in the audience. Unable to resist, she announced that she was also Armenian and then sang a few Armenian songs.

In 1954-1955, Marika Ninou departed for the United States, where the genre of Rebetiko was popular in certain areas, particularly among the Greeks. She had hoped to earn a large sum of money from this American tour to support not only herself, but also her brother Barkev’s family. It became clear that Barkev was suffering from cancer. He was going to pass during his sister’s travels. Marika felt especially obligated to support Barkev, who started working at a young age to provide a living for his family, to give his sisters the opportunity to get an education, and to exempt them from enduring the difficult working conditions of the factories.

After Ninou returned from the United States, she discovered that she also had cancer. A number of sources indicate that Ninou’s cancer was already evident on her very first trip to the United States.

In 1956, Marika traveled for the United States once again. The purpose of this second trip was to be both examined and treated by specialists. The trip lasted approximately half a year, from March to August. Upon her return, Marika was in poor health, yet she continued to perform in order to secure her living. 

A few days before her death, Vassilis Tsitsanis visited Marika Ninou. On the brink of death, she told him, "Σαν άστρο εβασίλεψα." This Greek phrase carries a double meaning: "I departed like a star" and "I dominated like a star." Shortly after her death, Tsitsanis composed a song that remains famous to this day: "Κυριακή σε γνώρισα" ("I Met You on a Sunday"), which incorporates Ninou’s poignant words.

Here are some of verses from that song: 

Marika Ninou died on 23 February 1957 in her home in Egaleo. She was buried next to her brother Barkev’s grave. Sadly, both of their graves no longer exist; they were removed and replaced with other graves due to a lack of financial means to maintain them.

Refugeeism and the hardships of refugee life are deeply intertwined with Marika Ninou’s biography. As the child of refugees, and a refugee herself, she faced many challenges: poverty, racial discrimination, an often oppressive community environment, and the stigma attached to Rebetiko, a style of music deemed inferior by the elite… Yet, through her willpower, determination, and talent, Evangelia Atamian/Marika Ninou overcame these obstacles and earned great acclaim in the arts. Her journey was marked by a premature death and the subsequent loss of her grave. But the unique star of Rebetiko has not yet disappeared; on the contrary, she continues to captivate and spark curiosity. A prime example of this enduring fascination is Costas Ferris's film Rembetiko. Recently, Katerina Tsiridou and Tasos Kaklamanis authored a book in which they presented Marika Ninou’s life in detail, and where her Armenian identity (which is absent in the film Rembetiko) is brought to the spotlight. 

Marika Ninou’s star continues to shine. Until today, the powerful presence of her attractive voice and her memory live on through her songs, serving as an inspiring force in the fight against poverty, deprivation, discrimination, injustice, narrow-mindedness, and intolerance.

• Katerina Tsiridou, Tasos Kaklamanis,Μαρίκα Νίνου – Ευαγγελία Αταμιάν. 'Σαν άστρο εβασίλεψα' [Marika Ninou – Evangelia Atamian: ‘I Shone Like a Star’] (Athens: Ellinoekdotiki Publications, 2023).
• Interview with Gula Anserian (nee Atamian) and Arshalouis Anserian (nee Atamian), 3 June 2024. 
• Misak Keleshian, Sis-Madean (Beirut: Armenian Jemaran, 1949).
• Αργυρώ Μποζώνη [Argyro Bozoni], “Μαρίκα Νίνου: Αυτή είναι η ζωή της” [“Marika Ninou: This is her Life”], 7 March 2022. https://www.lifo.gr/culture/music/marika-ninoy-ayti-einai-i-zoi-tis 
• Vangelis Pallas, “Ευαγγελία Αταμιάν (Μαρίκα Νίνου 1922-1957)” ["Evangelia Atamian (Marika Ninou 1922-1957)”], 6 May 2021. https://peripteron.eu/evangelia-atamian-marika-ninou-1922-1957/ 
• Yettem, “Monthly Bulletin of St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church,” Yettem, California, no. 5 (May 1967).
• Anoush Trvants, “Marika Ninou, 100 year anniversary” Jamanag Oratert [Time Daily] Istanbul, no. 12793 (10 March 2022). 
• «Մարիքա Նինուի առասպելը» “The Myth of Marika Ninou” (author unknown), Azad Or [Free Day] Special New Year’s Issue, Athens, 2022.
• (Author unknown), “Marika Ninou: Song for the neglected class, the sorceress of Rebetiko,” in Nor Ashkharh Yearbook 2004 [New World Yearbook 2004] Vol. 2 (Athens: H. Arakelian), 40-42. 
• Quin Minasian, «Մարիքա Նինու ոգեկոչուեցաւ» [Evoking Marika Ninou],Agos Weekly no. 846 (29 June 2012), Istanbul. 
• S[etrak] Shahen, “Father Der Garabed Kalfaian,” Yeridasart Hayastan Weekly [Young Armenian Weekly] no. 14, 64th year (4 August 1967), New York. 
• Sifi Kasesian,“Prosopikes apopsis ya ta kina” [Անհատական կարծիքներ բոլորիս վերաբերող], Nor Ashkharh [New World]/Armenikos Typos, (21 April 2014), 2, Athens.
• T. [Hagop Jelalian], “Marika Ninou – I Armenissa tou rebetikou” [“Marika Ninou– Armenian Rebetiko Singer], Nor Ashkharh [New World]/Armenikos Typos, (15 April 2003), 3, Athens.