Marina Satti

2.1. Childhood and Family Background

Satti was born in Athens, Greece, and spent her early childhood there until the age of six. Subsequently, she was raised on the island of Crete, in Heraklion. Her family background is multicultural: her father, Ali Osman Satti, was a doctor and anesthesiologist from Sudan, and a former deputy professor at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her mother, Chariclia Filoxenidi, is a chemical engineer from Heraklion, Crete, with roots tracing back to the Greek population of Asia Minor. Her parents initially met while studying at the Faculty of Medicine in Athens. During her childhood, Satti frequently visited Sudan in the summers. She excelled academically, graduating as a top student. She has a brother residing in England and a half-sister from her father's subsequent marriage, after he returned to Sudan and later moved to Egypt. Satti had not seen her father for 13 years, and she met her half-sister for the first time when the latter was seven or eight years old.

2.2. Academic and Musical Studies

Satti's musical journey began at the age of five with piano lessons at the Apollo Conservatory in Crete. She also participated in several choirs. In 2008, after studying under baritone Panos Dimas, Satti earned her first degree in lyrical monody with honors and a first prize. A year later, she achieved a second degree in advanced classical music studies, opera, and piano. Concurrently, she pursued jazz studies at the Nakas Conservatory in Athens. Beyond music, Satti spent three years studying Architecture at the National Technical University of Athens. She also received scholarships to study at the Veaki Drama School and the Kentriki Skini Drama School in Athens. In 2012, Satti completed a three-year degree in jazz composition, contemporary writing, and production at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in the United States, also on a scholarship. Her teachers at Berklee included Jamie Haddad and Danilo Pérez. In 2024, she commenced postgraduate studies in Cultural Management at the Hellenic Open University.

3.1. Early Works and Artistic Development

Early in her career, Marina Satti was a member of the EBU's European Jazz Orchestra and performed as a singer with the World Jazz Nonet at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In 2011, she collaborated with renowned artist Bobby McFerrin and the a cappella vocal group The Singing Tribe at the Berklee Performance Center. From 2006 to 2024, Satti actively participated in the Greek theatre scene, acting, singing, and composing music for 15 plays. In 2016, she founded Φωνές_Fonés^{Greek, Modern} (meaning "Voices"), an all-female a cappella ensemble dedicated to performing traditional polyphonic songs. Additionally, she composes music for short films and advertisements. Her vocal talents extend to voice acting, having lent her voice to 24 animated films. Notably, she provided the Greek voice for Moana in both *Moana* and *Moana 2*, and for Ariel in *The Little Mermaid*. Satti is also frequently invited to teach music and singing at various schools and universities across Greece.

3.2. Major Releases and Breakthrough Success

In 2016, Marina Satti released her single "Κούπες_Koupes^{Greek, Modern}", which garnered over 28 million views on YouTube and was featured on Ravin & Bob Sinclar's *Buddha Bar 20 Years Anniversary* album. The following year, her single "Μάντισσα_Mantissa^{Greek, Modern}" achieved significant success, charting in the European Union's Official Top 100 and Bulgaria's Top 40. Global Citizen hailed it as "song of the summer," and Joanna Kakissis, an Athens-based correspondent for NPR, described it as "the summer hit that fills a generation with hope." The song accumulated over 58 million views on YouTube. In 2017, Satti was recognized at Google's "Europe On Stage" event at the Bozar (Beaux-Arts) Centre of Fine Arts in Brussels, as one of the ten most interesting YouTube acts of the year.

Also in 2017, Satti initiated a series of cultural events that led to the establishment of Χορός_Chóres^{Greek, Modern} (a portmanteau of the Greek words for "daughters" and "choruses"), a choir comprising 200 women aged 13 to 63. In 2020, `Chóres` performed traditional songs at various archeological sites. In June 2018, Satti and `Fonés` premiered Yalla!, a musical repertoire featuring world music and pop compositions, alongside renditions of traditional Eastern Mediterranean music. The production debuted at the Melina Merkouri Theatre and subsequently toured internationally, with performances in France, England, Switzerland, and at the 2019 World Music Expo in Tampere, Finland. From 2017 to 2023, Satti embarked on extensive tours across Europe, the United States, and Australia, participating in prominent festivals and programs such as the American show KEXP. In May 2022, she released her debut album, Γέννα_Yenna^{Greek, Modern} ("Birth"), which achieved considerable success in Greece and received positive reception internationally. The album's release was followed by a European tour that spanned over four months.

3.3. Eurovision Song Contest Participation

On October 24, 2023, Marina Satti was officially announced as the Greek representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. She was internally selected by the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), and her entry, titled "Ζάρι_Zari^{Greek, Modern}", was released on March 7, 2024. In the contest, she finished in 11th place, accumulating a total of 126 points. Her performance was honored with the "Best Onstage Ensemble 2024" award by the Eurovision audience.

"Zari" achieved significant global traction, reaching the top 50 on YouTube's global trends. It also made history by becoming the first song in Greek to enter Spotify's global top 50, peaking at number 18. Furthermore, the song topped the charts on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube trends in Greece, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, the UK, and Ireland. It also charted in 29 other countries and received a diamond certification in Greece.

Following her Eurovision appearance, Satti released an EP titled P.O.P., which consists of seven songs, including "Zari." The EP features the new single "Lalalala" and a ten-minute track called "Mixtape," featuring guest appearances by artists such as Lefteris Pantazis, Rack, Efi Thodi, Vlospa, Oge, and Nick Kodonas. P.O.P. achieved immense success in Greece, with all its songs receiving diamond, multiple platinum, and gold certifications. This success led to a six-month worldwide tour. P.O.P. also reached number 8 on Spotify's global top 10 albums and entered the top 10 on the UK Spotify chart. On November 18, 2024, Satti announced her next single, "Ανατολή_Anatoli^{Greek, Modern}", which she teased on TikTok and released on December 5, 2024, ultimately achieving platinum certification. On January 24, 2025, she released another single, "Επάνω στο Τραπέζι_{Epano sto Trapezi}^{Greek, Modern}".

3.4. Acting Career (Theatre and Voice Acting)

Marina Satti has a notable career in acting, contributing to both the theatre and film industries. She has worked as an actress and music score composer with prestigious institutions such as the National Theatre of Greece, the Greek National Opera, and the Athens Festival. Her stage performances include appearances in the ancient theaters of Epidaurus and Herod Atticus in Greece.

Below is a table summarizing her theatre roles:

Satti has also had an extensive career as a voice actress in animated films and television series, often contributing both dialogues and songs. Her voice roles include iconic characters such as Moana and Ariel in their Greek dubs.

Below is a table summarizing her film and television roles:

4.1. Studio Albums

"-" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
"-" denotes that the chart did not exist at that time.

4.3.2. As featured artist