Voula Palla
Voula Palla (Greek: Βούλα Πάλλα) (born March 29, 1928 - died August 28, 1980) was a Greek singer who sang in the Laïko style.
Voula Palla Βούλα Πάλλα | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 March 1928 Korfos, Corinthia, Greece |
| Died | 28 August 1980 (aged 52) Korfos, Corinthia, Greece |
| Genres | Laika |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1950s-1979 |
Biography
Voula Palla was born in Korfos, Corinthia, on March 29, 1928. Her baptismal name was Paraskevi, her father, was the marathon runner and rower Panagiotis Pallas and her mother, Evangelia Papadopoulou. Voula Palla also had a sister, Fotini. In 1932, her father died at the age of just 29, and her orphanage stigmatized her life. The care of her family was taken over by her grandmother's brother, on her mother's side, who was a lawyer.
After a few years, when Voula was 9-10 years old, a family from Serres was asked to raise Voula or her sister, but without being adopted. Her mother gave little Voula. Soon, however, the family from Serres turned out to be just wanting the little one to do the housework. As a result, Voula returned to her family.
For three years she lived in Stimaga, Nemea, where her uncle was a forest ranger. Then, she entered the School of Nuns in Piraeus. But when the war began ended her studies ignominiously. She returned to Korfos, where he began farming. At the same time, she began to show her singing skills. Her mother's father was a priest and Voula would go to church and sing, "entering" the streets of Byzantine music unconsciously. At the same time, she sang folk songs at home, while she did the same at local festivals.[1]
In 1951, Voula Palla married Michalis Protopappas, of Hydraian origin, in Athens. This is the reason why in many songs that she has written the lyrics or the music herself, it is referred to as Friday Protopappa.
She had two sons, Kostas and Panos, and they lived with her mother and sister in Votanikos. Her husband had a car tire shop on Halkokondyli Street. Soon, a second store was opened, which was taken over by Voula. Her sister took over the other tire shop and her husband opened a gas station.
She suffered from fragile health and had undergone 15 different surgeries. In 1979, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. In the summer of 1980 she went to America where she was treated for a while at Mount Sinai Hospital, after first fulfilling her last wish, to sing for the expatriates at the Tsolias Center. Voula Palla passed away on Thursday, August 28, 1980, at the Good Samaritan Clinic (Greek: κλινική «Καλός Σαμαρείτης») in Athens and was buried in her hometown, Korfos, Corinthia.[1]