By Sophia A. Niarchos
OYSTER BAY, N.Y. – Elaina Pοulos has dreamed of being a singer since she was four years old. Last summer, right around the feast day of the Assumption of the Theotokos, a door opened that made the possibility of that dream coming true more of a reality than anything else she had experienced.
“There was a flyer on Instagram [Elaina has 5,000 followers there!] announcing auditions for Greece’s Got Talent (Ελλάδα Έχεις Ταλέντο), especially encouraging Greeks outside of Greece to apply,” she said. She knew immediately that she had to try. She submitted her recording of “To Tango Tis Nefelis,” a song made popular by Haris Alexiou, and her performance was good enough to prompt the producers to invite her to audition in person. So, in October, although she had to miss a few days of classes at Fordham University where she majors in political science, off she went to continue the pursuit of her dream.
“I didn’t get the results I was hoping for,” the third-generation Greek-American admits; “but I thankfully accepted the constructive criticism I received from the judges. I am not going to stop my dream because of one unsuccessful attempt; I will work harder to make it a reality. I won’t let my dream go downhill.”
Asked what motivates her to keep singing, Elaina explains that she had been “bullied all [her] life for being different, and singing helps me in my confidence.”
The granddaughter of Greek immigrants from Nafpaktos on her mother’s side (her father’s parents are from Arcadia and Serres), Elaina was raised to be proud of her Greek heritage.
“I feel sentimental about my heritage,” the oldest of four siblings says. “A lot of kids my age don’t care about our culture; but my parents exposed me to the greatness of being Greek, and they are by my side every step of the way as I pursue my dream of being a singer.”
Elaina learned to speak Greek, sings in the choir at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Rochelle, where she also played viola in the orchestra until she graduated high school, and was selected as Miss Nafpaktos for the Greek Independence Day parade in 2020. She is also looking forward to releasing a new Greek pop song this summer and is open to performing in other judged competitions such as X-Factor and The Voice.
“I want to keep moving forward and have a positive outlook toward my Greece’s Got Talent experience.”
