Garganourakis Haralambos

Haralambos Garganourakis was born in one of the most beautiful Cretan villages, Agios Thomas Monofatsiou in Heraklion. Carrying along a long musical tradition, Agios Thomas was the birthplace of some of the most famous lyrists as Giorgis Melabianos, Mihalis Katsarapidis and Giorgis Fragiadakis.
A restless spirit even from when he is born, Haralambos realizes by the time he is to finish school that he can not express his feelings of Crete without his lyre. His older brother, he too sharing a great love for the guitar, soon becomes aware of his talent. So by the age of twelve, he takes Haralambos to their uncle Giorgis Melambianos who - impressed by his talent - makes him a hand-made lyre.
Still a twelve year old with his own lyre, he starts playing and expressing his thoughts and feelings for Crete using three strings. His musical companions are a bunch of boys that play under the watchful eye of his uncle Melambianos and Mihalis Katsarapidis. And from this group of young boys surface four great lyrists and two or three great lute players that continue their village’s long tradition and aid to the widespread of Cretan music in all sorts of places.