Biography

Some of the songs Moustaki composed became world-famous as sung by artists such as Édith Piaf and Yves Montand.

Moustaki sang songs in French, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish, English, German and Arabic.

His parents, Sarah and Nessim Moustaki came originally from the island of Corfu, Greece, and were Greek Jews, but they moved to Alexandria, Egypt, where Georges learned French. They had a bookshop in the cosmopolitan city where many communities lived together.

Moustaki went to Paris in 1951 and was inspired by the young Georges Brassens. He changed his name to Georges Moustaki, in honor of him.

At home, everyone spoke Italian. In the street, the children spoke Arabic. At school, young Giuseppe learned and spoke French. His parents were very attached to French culture and put him into a French school, along with his sisters.