NIKOS XYLOURIS

GREECE CRETA Anoyia, the place where he was born

His life… Nikos Xilouris was born in Anoyia (1936), prefecture of Rethimno in Crete. His family has a great tradition on music. In 1941 he began to show his talent for music by singing and playing mandolin. Afterwards, he changed his opinion and wanted to learn Lyra. In the age of 17 he goes to work in Heraklion for the first time. Having the advantage that with the voice that he had, he could also sing different things, other than Cretan, in 1966 he participates in a folk festival in San Remo and wins the first price. In 1967he opens, the first Cretan music hall, "Erwtokritos" in Heraklion. In February 1969 he recorded the "Anyfantoy", a song that becomes a great hit in the traditional discography of the time. Apart from the traditional songs of Crete, the voice of Xylouris has also been identified with the contemporary artistic works of famous composers. Through those choices of his, the folk music of Crete was meant to be known and was heard all over Greece. LYRA Traditional instrument

His relationship with Markopoulos Xilouris and Markopoulos original cooperation was the "Chroniko", a unity of songs that re-examined the relationship between tradition and the present. His songs expressed the tensed political climate of the period which led to the uprising of the students of the Polytechnic School of Greece and the rebellion of the Greek people against the military junta that followed soon after. Xilouris was one of the few artists who were in the limelight as far as newspapers of that time were concerned. He died of cancer in Nikos Xilouris was a great singer, but unfortunately because of his death he did not complete his work.

This project was made by… Dimitris Galanakis Stathis Handerai