Sydney and Melbourne audiences will get a chance to experience popular Cretan musicians Kostas Kakoudakis, Michalis Petsakis, and Stelios Stamatogiannakis perform live as part of the 158th anniversary of the Arkadi Monastery Holocaust celebrations on 8 November.
The performance is part of the annual ‘Arkadia Festival,’ organised by the Pancretan Association of Melbourne and the Cretan Brotherhood of Sydney and NSW, aiming to bridge the cultural distance between Crete and the Greek diaspora in Australia.
In a showcase of traditional Cretan music, the celebrated trio along with the ‘Tzanidakis Folklore Group’ from Rethymno, Crete, will perform for the first time in Australia.
Kakoudakis, renowned for his masterful lyra playing and vocals, will accompany Petsakis and Stamatogiannakis on lute and vocals, offering audiences an immersive Cretan musical experience.
Kakoudakis, born in Rotasi, Heraklion, has a lifetime dedication to the lyra, starting at age 11. His grandfather gifted him his first lyra, inspiring a career heavily influenced by revered Cretan musicians like Kostis Papadakis (Lyratzakis) and Pantelis Stavroulakis. His career includes collaborations with well-known artists such as Vasilis Skoulas, Giorgis Xylouris, and Manolis Alexakis.
Petsakis, a self-taught musician who began at 13, was inspired by his father, a singer and laouto player. He has collaborated with various artists across Greece and frequently joins Kakoudakis in performance.
Stamatogiannakis, also a laouto player, grew up surrounded by Cretan music. His father, Gerasimos Stamatogiannakis, is a highly respected lyra player and composer, and Stelios has continued this legacy, performing with major figures in Cretan music, including Leonidas Klados and Kostas Moundakis.
The Tzanidakis Folkrore events will begin in Sydney on 5 November, going into 10 November with the Sydney Cretan Glendi taking place on 9 November.
The Dance Group will be arriving in Melbourne on Monday 11 November, with a full weeks program of events until 18 November with the Melbourne version of the Cretan Glendi celebrated on 16 November.
For more information and tickets contact Argiro Michelakis, President of the Pancretan Association of Melbourne, at 0439 324 445, or Manolis Vitetzakis, President of the Cretan Brotherhood of Sydney, at 0433 386 777.
