Greece’s Marina Satti brings her unique song “Zari,” translated as “Dice,” to the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö.
Collaborating with a talented team, including composers Gino the Ghost (Gino Borri), Jay Stolar (Jay Lewitt Stolar), Jordan Palmer (Jordan Richard Palmer), Kay Be (Konstantin Plamenov Beshkov), and Nick Kodonas, Marina promises a performance that seamlessly blends traditional Greek elements with modern pop sensibilities.
The lyrical depth of “Zari” is crafted by Marina Satti, OGE, and Solmeister (Manolis Solidakis), ensuring a captivating and memorable experience for Eurovision audiences.
Scroll down to read the “Zari” lyrics
Greece at Eurovision 2024: Marina Satti with “Zari”
Marina Satti is a Greek singer, composer, music producer, and actress. Her music is characterised by a fusion of traditional sounds with urban elements, rhythms, and production.
In 2007, she received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music as an outstanding musical talent, graduating in 2011 with a degree in orchestration and production.
A decade later, in 2017, her song “Mantissa,” inspired by Epirotic and Cretan rhythms, went viral. It has now surpassed 56 million views on YouTube to date.
How the title “Zari” was inspired
Regarding the song title, the singer revealed to Greek national broadcaster ERT that when OGE sent her the song, which was far from its final form, he had named it “Zari.” “I was thinking ‘will it work, won’t it work’ and I liked all this aspect of luck,” Marina said, emphasising that “ZARI” is a collage of many ideas.
“When ERT announced my participation, they sent about 200 songs and ideas. Not all were complete; some were just lyrics, others were melodies. We contacted the creators whose ideas we liked the most, met with them, and the five songs became three etc. There were two/three factors that played a role in choosing this particular song. I told myself that I had one opportunity, three minutes. What impression did I want to leave? A ballad or a dynamic piece, full of energy, temperament? And I always ended up with the latter. So we ruled out the softer pieces, thinking that this must be presented on stage,” she added.
Marina also explained in another interview that the inclusion of the “ta ta ta” parts in the song is primarily to infuse it with a more energetic vibe and rhythm.
What do the “Zari” lyrics mean?
“Zari” is a song that explores themes of pain, change, and letting go. The lyrics convey a sense of uncertainty and a willingness to embrace whatever comes next, even if it brings pain or difficulty. The repeated refrain of “And let whatever happens happen” suggests a surrender to fate or destiny, acknowledging that some things are beyond our control.
The imagery of falling and rolling like a die symbolises the unpredictability of life and the feeling of being tossed around by circumstances. Despite this, there’s a determination to do things one’s own way and to move forward, even if it means pretending to forget past hurts.
The song also touches on themes of longing and waiting, as well as the pain of separation. There’s a sense of vulnerability in lines like “Alone I die if you’re elsewhere,” conveying the deep emotional impact of distance or absence.
Overall, “Zari” is a reflective and emotive song that captures the complexities of human relationships and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
“Zari” lyrics and translation — Marina Satti (Greece Eurovision 2024)
Lyrics: Marina Satti / OGE / Solmeister / VLOSPA
Music: Gino The Ghost / Jordan Palmer / Jay Stolar / Kay Be / Marina Satti / Nick Kodonas / OGE
Greek textTa ta ta… Pónos mi mas érthei makári O ánemos gia pou tha mas párei I’m gonna do it my way Páme (Ta ta ta….) Na mi thymithó Páme Móni ki an méno (Ta ta ta….) Pónos mi mas érthei makári O ánemos gia pou tha mas párei (Ta ta ta….) Ki óla allázoun gýro mou apótomа |
English translationTa ta ta… May pain not come to us Where will the wind take us? I’m gonna do it my way Let’s go (Ta ta ta…) I don’t want to remember Let’s go Even if I stay alone (Ta ta ta…) May pain not come to us Where will the wind take us? (Ta ta ta…) And everything iѕ changing around me аbruptly |
What do you think of the “Zari” lyrics from Marina Satti? Will Greece qualify for the final? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Sad that Greece doesn’t send anything good nowdays.
“Ta” also means “thanks” in some parts of the UK, so I find that repeated lyric quite hilarious. 🙂
P.S. “Let whatever happens happen” could be a risky message this year considering what is actually happening in the world. (I think I wrote that before. I’m getting déjà vu.)
I dont use to vote for eurovision song contest, but for this song defo i will do, both semi and final
Viva Grecia
My winner this year. Good luck Greece, you deserve the top!
Marina is my 4th fav this year!
Sucha cool song.
Looking forward to the live performance.
I wish Greece all the best but this year it won’t have my vote. I can’t connect with those sounds that are so strident and annoying in my opinion. Good Luck Marina
Wait for the live performance, it will come together there.
Did you just call our traditional music strident and annoying? Did you even have any culture in your villages?
everyone has a right to an opinion. Greek TV openly takes the piss out of Chinese music on almost a weekly basis so lets just accept that not everyone on the planet is going to be down for the zourna.
I actually enjoy Greek traditional music but I would agree with Sun that this mix of traditional and modern is nort enjoyable for me. I see that a lot of people like it and I respect that…. I am usually huge fan of most traditional music around the world, but I rarely find any fusion with modern sounds good…
It’s overhyped by Greeks only, nobody else even likes it. Most of people just say they like it so they won’t get hated.