Kalafatis Kostas

KOSTAS KALAFATIS was born in Thessaloniki in Greece. He was taught byzantine music by his father and has been a singer since a young boy, when he would sing in the Orthodox Church. This influence and his Asia Minor origin, make up the essence of his voice.

At fourteen years of age he bought his first guitar and started, at the age of 16, playing and singing in bands. He has chosen to spend his career in making real music. For 35 years he has shared his knowledge of the Greek Rembetiko (urban and folk song genres) working mostly in Thessaloniki, Patras and the island of Skopelos where he has lived for the last 30 years.

Kalafatis expertly interprets Smyrneiko, Rembetiko and popular Greek song, as he proves especially when he is singing. He plays guitar and also a variety of stringed instruments of the Eastern Mediterranean such as the bouzouki, lute, oud and baglama.

He contributed as a composer on his latest CD entitled "Thessaloniki Patra Skopelos", which includes a remake of old songs and some contemporary compositions of his own and other composers.