Horevtakis Ilias

Ilias Horeftakis was born to Stefanos and Anastasia in Horeftiana near Chania, Crete, in 1972. From his early years he fell in love with music, following a family tradition and the example of his grandfather Nikos Harhalis. He started lessons on the violin at the age of 12 with Michalis Kounelis. One of the greatest influences in the unraveling of his music talent was Kostas Papadakis, also known as “Naftis” (sailor), who taught Ilias not only the art, but also the history and origins of the Cretan music. He played his first glendi at the age of 13. Since then, he has performed repeatedly throughout Crete and the rest of Greece, as well as in the United States on many occasions.  His first album, “Paraxena minimata” (Strange messages), was released in 1998. Ilias edited Kostas Papadakis’ last album, titled “Ligo prin to telos” (Just before the end) where he played laouto. In 2005, he released a live recording with the title “Mia vradia ston Omalo” (a night at Omalos).