(1893 - 1972) Grandmother of: Ρέα Μανέλη. Often regarded as the preeminent Greek lyricist, she was also a teacher, actress, and poet, born in Aidini, Minor Asia.

At 17, in 1911, she entered into a marriage arranged by matchmaking with the significantly older Κωστής Νικολαΐδης. Together, they had two daughters, Μαίρη and Καίτη.

In 1919, she endured three harrowing days witnessing the atrocities committed by the "Τσέτες" in Asia Minor, experiences of violence and destruction that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Following the Asia Minor catastrophe in 1922, she was compelled to leave her homeland. After relocating to Athens, she separated from her husband and married Γιώργος Παπαγιαννόπουλος in 1928, having fallen in love with him.

In 1948, at the age of 55, she began writing song lyrics, having previously published collections of poetry. This change in direction was prompted by her struggles with gambling. Often disorganized, she would jot down her lyrics on cigarette packs, bills, and other scraps of paper. It was Βασίλης Τσιτσάνης who taught her how to write songs with refrains, rather than poetry. Her desire for immediate payment led to complications, as she often received only a small sum in drachmas instead of a percentage from ΑΕΠΙ, resulting in many of her songs being credited to others. Notably, Βασίλης Τσιτσάνης took some of her work, altered it slightly, and claimed it as his own, with “Τα Καβουράκια” being one such example. She later reflected, “Με εκμεταλλεύτηκαν εν γνώσει μου. Εγώ, η τρελή, τους παρακάλαγα να τα αγοράσουν.” Her first recorded song was "Για μια γυναίκα χάθηκα" in 1951.

She composed songs such as «Αντιλαλούνε τα βουνά» out of fear of losing her husband, Γιώργος Παπαγιαννόπουλος, and wrote «Δυο πόρτες έχει η ζωή» and «Είμαι αητός χωρίς φτερά» in 1960 following the death of her elder daughter, Μαίρη. She also wrote «Ηλιοβασιλέματα», «Πάρε το δάκρυ μου», and «Περασμένες μου αγάπες» for Μανώλης Χιώτης, who respected her claims to these songs publicly.

Despite many of her works remaining uncredited, her contributions significantly influenced the Greek discography, particularly in the Rempetiko and Laiko genres. Some notable songs she penned include «Φεύγω με πίκρα στα ξένα», «Γυάλινος κόσμος», «Θα βρω μουρμούρη μπαγλαμά», «Όνειρο απατηλό», «Στο τραπέζι που τα πίνω», «Στου Αποστόλη το κουτούκι», «Ρίξτε στο γυαλί φαρμάκι», «Μου σπάσανε το μπαγλαμά», «Ανεμώνα», «Αργά, είναι πια αργά», «Λίγο-λίγο, θα με συνηθίσεις», «Πήρα απ' τη νιότη χρώματα», «Αν είναι η αγάπη έγκλημα», «Η διπρόσωπη», «Ένας αϊτός γκρεμίστηκε», «Συρματοπλέγματα βαριά», «Τι έχει και κλαίει το παιδί», «Η Μαλάμω», «Πετραδάκι, πετραδάκι», «Του ντερβίση το πιοτό», «Τι να σου κάνει μια καρδιά», «Μαντουμπάλα», and «Πήρα τη στράτα κι έρχομαι».

Only a few composers, such as Απόστολος Καλδάρας and Manos Hadjidakis, credited her work. Στέλιος Καζαντζίδης acknowledged her authorship of the song «Δυο πόρτες έχει η ζωή», which he purchased for the modest sum of 250 drachmas. Unfortunately, few other artists followed his example.

She articulated her philosophy on songwriting, stating, “Το λαϊκό γράφεται πρώτα με την καρδιά και το συναίσθημα και ύστερα με τεχνική. Κι έτσι μόνο μας αναστατώνει, μας βάζει σε κίνηση, μας προβληματίζει.” Throughout her life, she did not pursue fame or recognition for her work, instead choosing to sell her songs without concern for their success or distribution. In a 1960 interview with the newspaper Ακρόπολις, she stated, “Εγώ γράφω τραγούδια και τα πουλώ. Από κει και πέρα δεν ανακατεύομαι αν θα πιάσουν ή όχι, αν θα βγουν ή δε θα βγουν σε δίσκους. Μόλις τα παραδώσω, υπογράφω και μια δήλωση παραιτήσεως από διάφορα δικαιώματα, ας πούμε απαρνούμαι τα πνευματικά μου τέκνα.”

She passed away in Athens on January 7, 1972. A biographical film titled "Ευτυχία," based on her granddaughter Ρέα Μανέλη's book "Η Γιαγιά μου η Ευτυχία," was released in 2019.