Nikos Xilouris in Samaria Gorge

Nikos Xilouris singing “O Miriolis” in the Samaria Gorge.

Nikos Xilouris was born in the village of Anogia in 1936. Nikos was 9 years old when he first played the lyra in public, deeply impressing his audience with his skill and with his voice. At the age of 16 Nikos moves to Heraklion and with the help of friends and relations, his fame soon spreads through the island.

He first performed outside Greece in 1966 to win the first prize in the San Remo folk music festival. On February 8, 1980 Nikos Xilouris died at the age of 44 having succumbed to cancer.