Marina Satti

Marina Satti is a Greek singer. She was born to a Sudanese Arab father and a Greek mother from Heraklion, Crete, in Athens. Alhtough born in Athens, she was raced in Heraklion. Marina spent her childhood summers in Sudan. 

From a young age, Marina was immersed in music, beginning with classical piano and later adding vocal training during her high school years. She initially pursued architecture at the National Technical University of Athens but didn’t complete her degree.

In 2008, under the tutelage of baritone Panos Dimas, Marina achieved her first degree in lyrical monody, earning honors and a first prize. The following year, she received a second degree in advanced classical studies and explored jazz at the Nakas Conservatory. Her musical journey further expanded in 2010 at the Berklee College of Music, where she studied jazz composition and contemporary writing and production on a scholarship, learning from esteemed teachers like Jamie Haddad and Danilo Pérez.

Satti’s career took a diverse path. She was a member of the European Jazz Orchestra and performed with the World Jazz Nonet at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington. She collaborated with Bobby McFerrin in the a cappella group The Singing Tribe. In 2016, she founded Fonés, a female a cappella group focusing on traditional polyphonic songs, performing at prestigious venues like the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus and the Athens Concert Hall.

Her single “Koupes” achieved over 24 million YouTube views and featured on the Buddha Bar 20 Years Anniversary album by Ravin & Bob Sinclar. Her 2017 single “Mantissa” gained international recognition, appearing in the European Union’s Official Top 100 and Bulgaria’s Top 40, and was dubbed “song of the summer” by Global Citizen. NPR’s Joanna Kakissis praised it as a generation-inspiring summer hit.

In 2017, Satti initiated a series of cultural events, leading to the formation of the choir Chόres, comprising 150 women, presenting traditional songs in archaeological sites. In 2018, she and Fonés showcased “YALLA!” featuring world music and Eastern Mediterranean traditional music, touring internationally. Her debut album “YENNA,” released in May 2022, was followed by a successful four-month European tour. In October 2023, she was announced as Greece’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.