Melina is an artist who inhabits many worlds at once. Her universe is where Balkan, Oriental, and pop influences meet — a place where melody, rhythm, and movement fuse into something raw, luminous, and deeply human. With her hypnotic voice, her oud, and her subtle, ritual-like gestures on stage, she builds bridges between cultures, creating a sound that feels both old and strikingly modern.
Born and raised in Paris within a Franco-Greek family steeped in music and tradition, Melina Vlachou grew up surrounded by songs, dances, and stories passed down through generations. Her studies in Oriental singing and oud under renowned mentors of the Greco-Turkish scene, crowned with a DEM diploma awarded with honors, grounded her in a deep respect for her roots. Yet her compositions reach far beyond them — weaving together Balkan timbres, contemporary pop textures, and hints of electronic soundscapes to create her own genre of “rebetiko pop.”
Her artistic journey has already been marked by distinction: with her project “Roza”, blending music and circus, she earned the Forte Prize for emerging talents in Île-de-France. Since then, she has graced iconic Parisian venues such as Cabaret Sauvage, New Morning, and Café de la Danse, mesmerizing audiences with performances that balance poetry and power. As Télérama aptly noted, “Sur le fil de sa voix d’ange, elle s’accompagne au oud, danse et convie contrebasse et percussions dans des explorations pop qui promettent de très jolis lendemains.”
Her songs — from the viral “Kano Traka” to the multilingual “Mila Mou Normal” — reveal an artist who moves fluidly between languages and identities, blending nostalgia and experimentation with a fearless creative pulse. Her debut EP “Melina”, her first personal album, stands as both an introduction and a declaration: a portrait of who she is today and a promise of where she is heading next.
Fresh from her first solo concert at Gazarte in Athens, Melina spoke to SounDarts.gr about her journey so far, her fascination with improvisation, her creative process, and her belief in a kind of music that — in her own words — “has the power to heal.”
Let’s start with your recent performance at Gazarte – your first solo show for a Greek audience. How did you feel that night?
Before coming to Athens for that concert, I was filled with excitement but also a little nervous, not knowing how the audience would respond. Usually, during my live shows, I have to do quite a bit of translating because people don’t understand the language. This time, though, I was overjoyed to perform for an audience that would immediately understand me.
Everything went beautifully. The audience gave me so much energy and magic, which lifted me on stage. I had an incredible time — it felt like a kind of ceremony. It was such a beautiful moment; I wasn’t anxious at all. I simply felt that I was in the right place. Now, looking back, I feel very happy about that concert — though a little sad to have left.
My family was there too, which meant a lot. I could see them — my cousin was right in front of me! There were moments when I had to stop myself from looking at them too much so I wouldn’t get carried away by emotion.
You’ve already performed in iconic venues like Cabaret Sauvage, New Morning, and Café de la Danse, and you’ve opened for artists such as Dafné Kritharas and Marina Satti. Is there a particular moment or concert that left a strong impression on you? What did you learn from those experiences?
The concert that marked me the most was the very first one I performed under the name Melina — when I opened for Dafné Kritharas. It was on October 8, 2023, and it was incredibly important to me. Dafné, who also lives in Paris and is a friend of mine, asked me to open her show even though I didn’t yet have a personal project. I was still experimenting with different ideas but wanted to create something bigger. That required courage — and she insisted I should do it. So I did.
It was such a milestone moment. Everything went really well, and the audience loved it. It was the first time I truly felt I was in the right place. I realized I could do what I wanted — and after that night, I decided to continue with what became the Melina project, which didn’t exist before then. All of that happened thanks to Dafné, and I’m deeply grateful to her for helping me take that first step.
Afterwards, I opened more of her concerts, which was wonderful practice — it taught me how to sing in front of audiences who didn’t know me and how to bring them along with me.
At the same venue where I performed with Dafné, Café de la Danse, I later opened for Marina Satti — another beautiful experience, especially because there were Greeks in the audience. It’s funny: things in my career seem to happen in one-year cycles. A year after that, I opened Marina’s concert in Greece.
I’d love to come to Greece regularly to perform. I adore Greek audiences — it’s where I feel I belong.
You’ve studied with prominent figures of the Greek-Turkish music scene, such as Katerina Papadopoulou and Gülseren. What were the most formative lessons from that experience?
One teacher who deeply influenced me — not only musically but also psychologically — was Rachid Brahim Djelloul, from Algeria, who teaches at the conservatory of Gennevilliers near Paris. He’s the person who helped me find confidence in myself.
He teaches with such kindness and generosity, and he gave me the tools I needed to continue on my own. I believe a great teacher is someone who shows you how to move forward without them — and he truly did that.
The oud is an instrument rooted in deep tradition. How did you discover it, and what role does it play in your songwriting?
My father played the oud at home — he also plays the bouzouki and guitar — so it was always around me, and I loved its sound. But I didn’t play it at first; I started with the violin.
Later, when I was studying at the conservatory, Rachid Brahim Djelloul suggested that I try the oud, because it’s an instrument you can play while singing. I did, and I loved it immediately. The oud is both melodic and rhythmic, and it even shares some similarities with the violin.
When I wrote my first songs — like “Au Revoir”, which I wrote for my grandmother — they were composed on the oud. I use it almost like a guitar when writing songs, and also because I can sing and play it at the same time. I love the oud deeply and want to keep it with me in everything I do.
How does a composition usually begin for you – with lyrics, a melody, or a rhythm?
Exactly! It’s always one of the three, depending on the piece. Sometimes it begins with a word or a lyric — for example, “Kano Traka” started because I loved that phrase, and everything grew from there. Other times, it starts with a small melodic line — even if I don’t yet have any lyrics, I’ll write a melody first and add words later.
Sometimes it’s the lyrics, sometimes it’s the music — it always begins with a small spark that makes me think, “This is nice; maybe I can build something from it.”
What role does improvisation play in your work? Is it something that liberates you, or does it lead you to new creative paths?
I believe that when you write a piece, you always start by improvising to find something — and then you simply shape it into form. Everything begins with improvisation and then becomes a finished composition.
In Greek music, and in Oriental music more broadly, there’s a strong tradition of improvisation. From the beginning, I learned to improvise both in singing and on the oud. Of course, the way I was taught, it wasn’t pure improvisation — there were certain musical codes I had to respect. Later, I learned how to improvise within those codes, which is actually the hardest part — but also what I love the most.
Sometimes I create pieces that don’t strictly follow those traditional structures — like amanedes — but I always keep those codes in mind.
How much space do electronic sounds occupy in your music? Do you see them as a tool to “reinvent” tradition or as a new form of expression?
For me, they’re more of a new form of expression. I’ve always listened to a lot of pop and electronic music, so when it came time to create my own sound, it naturally included electronic elements that felt true to me.
I couldn’t rely solely on acoustic or traditional sounds — I wanted to bring that modern side of myself into my work, to make it reflect my own taste.
Do you see your first EP as a reflection of your journey so far, or as a step toward something new?
Both, I’d say. I see this EP as a kind of personal introduction — that’s why it’s called “Melina.” It’s the first thing I’ve released, and through it I wanted to express who I am.
Looking ahead, I hope it will lead me down new musical paths, though it will always carry a touch of my own sound.
You’ve collaborated with artists like Ko Shin Moon, Dafné Kritharas, and Le Mange Bal. What did each collaboration leave you with?
Every collaboration is a challenge because you have to merge two different musical worlds — but it’s always a unique and rewarding experience.
I particularly loved working with Ko Shin Moon because that collaboration helped me start working with other artists before launching my own project. I learned a lot — especially about how to collaborate creatively and musically with others.
Is there an artist you admire and would like to collaborate with on a record?
Among Greek artists, I really admire Leon of Athens for his songwriting, and Marina Satti, who has inspired me a lot. In general, there are so many artists I love.
Lately, I’ve been really drawn to Theodora, a French-Congolese singer who’s very well known here in France. She actually grew up in Athens but writes her songs in French.
What are your next plans? Is there a new project, album, or collaboration on the horizon?
Yes — right now I’m in a phase of musical exploration and experimentation, and I need a bit of time to think about my next album.
For the moment, what’s certain is that I’ll be releasing some new tracks — not necessarily a full album just yet. That might take a bit more time, but I want to experiment with a few songs while continuing to work on a larger body of work. It could turn into an EP or a full album — I don’t know yet — but I’m working on those songs.
I also want to keep performing in Greece and across Europe, with the goal of sharing my project with a wider audience.
If you had to describe your artistic vision in one phrase, what would it be?
The reason I make music is to do good in the world. I believe music has something inherently healing about it — it can truly make a difference.
So I’d say I believe in music that heals.
What’s your life motto?
It’s a quote by the English author Roald Dahl:
Interview: Theodore Kolliopoulos
