Michalis Tzouganakis (Larnaca)

Melodies from Crete as well as international sounds develop his music that leads him to different unique and boundless directions.

Michalis Tzouganakis was born in Bergen, a city in Belgium, in an old immigrant district. He was two years of age when he got in his hands his brother’s lute and… hasn´t left it ever since!

Michalis Tzouganakis is thirteen when the great lyre-player, Leonidas Klados, comes across him. Klados composes, Michalis writes the lyrics and they record. He is very lucky to be for five years close to a top-notch lyre-player, giving concerts in Crete and in Athens, thus obtaining great experience.

Kostas Mountakis, another first-rate lyre-player, recognizes Michalis’ rare talent and wishes to work with him. They go on tour to Toronto and Montreal. At the same time with his own concerts, Michalis’ and Kostas Mountakis’ musical encounters are frequent. In 1990 they record together for the University of Crete. It’s Mountakis’ last recording.

Michalis’ musical evolution is enduring. After the age of fifteen, together with his concerts, he studies more musical instruments: outi, sazi, boulgari, mandolin, cumbus, lyre. At seventeen and for two years, he takes classic and traditional singing lessons, at the Conservatory of Athens.

Restless and inventive, at eighteen, he has his own band: lute, lyre, percussion instruments, guitar, contrabass and violin. He travels in Greece, in America, in Canada, in Germany, in Belgium giving concerts. When abroad, he works with foreign groups.

In 1997, Michalis Tzouganakis meets Nikos Mamagkakis. A great turning point in Michalis’ musical education and not only. He stayed for six consecutive years next to a composer of such great work and such great experience. Inspired by the voice and interpretation of Michalis, Nikos Mamagkakis composes «Ta tragoudia tis palias polis» (Songs of the Old Town), based on the lyrics of late Rethymnian poet, Giorgos Kalomenopoulos. This album seals the two men’s friendship. Michalis has joined in the rearranged and re-edited work of the great composer, as vocalist and lute soloist. He has also participated with Mikis Theodorakis, Eugenios Spatharis, P. Lalezas in the work which Nikos Mamagkakis composed on Makrygiannis.

Michalis Tzouganakis has brought about important changes to the cretan traditional song, not only with his interpretation of songs but also with the contemporary sounds he added. Without distorting the traditional element, he enriches it and lends it a different musical dimension.