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Born near Smyrna in Asia Minor, Kostas Masselos (he adopted the last name Nouros) was an intriguing figure, known for singing soulful amandes and Smyrneika-style rebetiko, occasionally recording with Rosa Eskenazi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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He had one of the most distinctive voices of the times. He was reported to have been a cantor in the Greek Orthodox Church; other sources only say he sang in church as a boy. He was an established star in Smyrna before the population exchange, and when he relocated to Piraeus, his career flourished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Nouros, who may have been gay, reportedly lived a lonely life. He stepped away from recording in the 1940s, and only performed occasionally after that. Late in life, he lived alone on a meagre pension in a small house in a suburb of Piraeus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Panayiotis Tountas wrote this song, which Nouros recorded in 1932. From the lyrics: \u201cThere are beautiful girls in Athens, guys \/ in Athens, guys, there are many beautiful ones\u2026.In Athens I cannot live without love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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