Νίκος Ξυλούρης

(1936 - 1980)

Not to be confused with Νίκος Ξυλούρης.
a.k.a. Ψαρονίκος - Psaronikos I Αρχάγγελος της Κρήτης - Archangel of Crete. His παρανόμι alias Ψαρακης [family] / Ψαρονίκος was granted to his grandpa Kαραμουζαντώνης [also a well known lyre player] in the years of the Turkish occupation where he moved fast and killed Turks like a Ψάρι = fish.
Cretan artist [Singer, Writer, Composer, Lyre player] born on July 7th, 1936 at Anogeia, Crete, Greece in a traditional family with many Cretan Lyra players, he had 3 sisters and 2 brothers: Ψαραντώνης and Γιάννης Ξυλούρης.

He went to school up to the 3rd grade, his school teacher Μενέλαος Δραμουντάνης saw his talent and talked his father [who was opposed] in buyin him his first lyre at the age of 12 and learned how to play self-taught. Very quick he started to play in πανηγύρια and weddings [weddings back then lasted up to 2 weeks in Crete] and became well know in all around villages.
He wrote his first song at the age of 17 "Δεν κλαιν οι δυνατές καρδιές".

A critical phase in his life is his movement at Herakleion where he also met his wife Ουρανία Μελαμπιανάκη. He wanted to play Cretan music but back then he had to fight Waltz and Tango invasion, it took time and efford to establish the traditional Cretan music without the "help" of the European music. He tried to revive the traditional Cretan music but the record companies didn't belive that the traditional music would bring sales and a political intervention was needed, in order to release his first record.

He performed all over the world and in 1966 and won the first prize in the San Remo folk music festival, In 1971 awarded by the Academy Charles Cross of France for his performance in the Cretan Rizitika songs album with Γιάννης Μαρκόπουλος.

He made collaborations and renders of/ with Poets, Composers Singers etc. such as Νίκος Γκάτσος, Γιάννης Ρίτσος, Τάνια Τσανακλίδου, Σταύρος Ξαρχάκος, Μαρίζα Κωχ, George Seferis, Γιάννης Μαρκόπουλος, Κώστας Βάρναλης Διονύσιος Σολωμός As Communist he fought the Greek military hunta of 1967–74

In 1978-79 the first signs of his desease appeared, it was then when he met George Harrison at Πορτο Ράφτη in Greece and played together for one time only. He died on February 8th, 1980 in Piraeus from a brain tumor, and is buried in the First Cemetery of Athens.

His wife Ουρανία Ξυλούρη still continues the record shop that he first rented in 1978 in Athens.