Vagelis Vardakis was born in Ierapetra. He holds a bachelors degree in electrical engineering and is currently working at the Municipality of Ierapetra
At the age of ten he started studying the lyre and soon after the violin, under his uncle Antonis Vardakis who was a virtuoso mandolin player and had deep knowledge and understanding of the original music heritage and tradition of Ierapetra.
Georgios Amarianakis, Professor of Musicology at the University of Athens, prefacing Vagelis Vardakis CD “East of Crete“ stated: «Over the years Vagelis Vardakis did a thorough research across Eastern Crete and tried to draw from oblivion melodies and information long forgotten. His efforts helped him evolve to an expert of local tradition and a highly skillful violin player».
Vagelis came close to every important living violin player of his region whose work he studied and recorded.
Since 1985, he has been deeply involved with the research of traditional Eastern Cretan dancing heritage and in 2014 he got his book «Traditional dance in the Eastern Region of Crete» published by the Municipality of Ierapetra.
Kostas Avissinos was born and raised in Skalani of Iraklio Crete. He took his first music steps next to his father Giorgos Avissinos, a teacher of Cretan music and a virtuoso violin player. Kostas sang, played lute, mandolin, boulgari (a bouzouki-like instrument) and bouzouki. Together they traveled across the globe making the Cretan music known around the world before him deciding to follow his own music trail. He has published two records so far, “Libyan Sea ” and “Nostos”
During his career as a musician he has worked together with great composers and instrument players. One of the highlights though, is his collaboration with the widely known music composer Niko Mamagaki in the albums “Ta difora”, “Cretan War” and the “The song of Daskalogianni and the song of Ibrahim aga Alidaki”
Nikos Mastorakis was born in Ierapetra, Crete. After finishing high school we went on to study physical education at the Gymnastics Academy and at the same time he took classic guitar lessons at his home town music school. As a musician he is deeply involved with the traditional music of his region as well as old rempetiko.
He is a talented guitar and contrabass player, and a great composer. He has published two records so far, “The dark turtledove” and “Kirva”.
He appears regularly alongside Vaggelis Vardakis and makes musical instruments like guitars and lute.
