Kostas Papadakis

Who was Kostas Papadakis?

Kostas Papadakis was a popular Cretan violinist, famous for playing Cretan folk music. He was known by the nickname "Naftis" which, in Greek, means sailor. He began playing the violin at age seven. Papadakis played an Italian violin dated back to 1710, when Crete was under Venetian occupation. His first public performance took place at a wedding reception when he was ten. From 1959 till 1976 he lived in the United States and, in 1981, he moved to Australia where he stayed for five years. He performed live in numerous musical events and festivals in different countries.

Kostas Papadakis first recorded an album in 1938. Throughout his career, he participated in several recordings that included his own compositions. He also published a book in 1989 entitled The Cretan Lyre, a Myth which supported the idea that the first instrument, used by early Cretan musicians to play Cretan music, was the violin and not the lyre.