Arleta (Greek: Αρλέτα; 3 May 1945 – 8 August 2017; real name Αριάδνη Νικολέτα Τσάπρα Ariadne Nicoleta Tsapra) was a Greek musician, author and book illustrator.

Biography

Arleta was born in Athens in 1945. She studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

She published her first album of her own creation (Ένα Καπέλο με Τραγούδια, A hat with songs) in 1960. In the beginning of her career she worked with many well-known Greek composers like Giannis Spanos, Manos Hatzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis. Her first great successes came with songs whose music was written by Lakis Papadopoulos and lyrics by Marianina Kriezi. She performed with great success in the Athens boîte scene. In 1997 her book, Από πού πάνε για την Άνοιξη (Whereto does one go to get to Spring) was released, a book that includes her own illustrations.

On February 11, 2008, just a few minutes before a planned performance at Volos, Arleta suffered a stroke. She underwent surgery, remaining in a critical but stable condition, from which she managed to recover, having remained though in hospital for 6 months and partly paralysed, unable to stand, for one year.

Death

In January 2017, she suffered another stroke and remained in hospital, where she passed away on 8 August 2017, aged 72.

Discography

• Τραγουδά η Αρλέτα (Lyra, 1966) - Arleta sings
• Αρλέτα Νο2 (Lyra, 1967) - Arleta No.2
• Στο Ρυθμό του Αγέρα (Lyra, 1968) - In the rhythm of the wind
• 12+1 Τραγούδια του Μάνου Χατζιδάκι (Lyra, 1969) - 12+1 Songs of Manos Hatzidakis
• Έξη Μέρες (Lyra, 1970) - Six Days
• Ταξιδεύοντας (Lyra, 1976) - Travelling
• Romancero Gitano (Lyra, 1978)
• Ένα Καπέλο με Τραγούδια (Lyra, 1981) - A hat with songs
• Περίπου (Lyra, 1984) - Almost
• Τσάι Γιασεμιού (CBS, 1985) - Jasmine Tee
• Ζητάτε Να Σας Πω (CBS, 1987) - You ask me to say to you
• Δέκα και μία νύχτες (CBS, 1989) - Ten and one nights
• Εκτός Έδρας (CBS, 1989) - Away
• Άσε τα Κρυφά Κρυμμένα (Columbia, 1991) - Let secrets remain hidden
• Μετά Τιμής (Portrait, 1993) - With Honour
• Έμπορος Ονείρων (Ακτή, 1995) - Trader of Dreams
• Και Πάλι Χαίρετε (Legend, 2009) - Hello to You again
• Demo (Lyra, 2010)

Illustrations

• Bertolt Brecht «Ο Μπαρμπα-Έντε» (Uncle Eddie's Moustache) – Children's Book (Οδυσσέας Editions, 1979; in Greek)
• Vladimir Mayakovsky «Το Αλογάκι-Φωτιά» (The Fire Horse) – Children's Book (Οδυσσέας Editions, 1986; in Greek)