His music “speaks” directly to the Greek soul
Stavros Xarchakos is one of the “pioneers” of the Spring in the Greek artistic and popular music of the 60s and since then his songs hold a special place in the hearts of the Greeks.
He was born in Exarchia, Athens, on March 14, 1939. His parents were also born there and his family’s house was on Themistokleous Street. Growing up, he
studied music at the Athens Conservatory and then continued his studies in Paris and at the Juilliard School of Music, in New York. He has written songs on more than 42 albums, music for 21 movies and 15 television productions. He has also composed music for ancient tragedy, dramas, and international ballets.
At the beginning of his career, Stavros Xarchakos writes music mainly for theater and cinema and so he has distinguished himself as a composer of cinematographic and theatrical music. His first major success is the music he wrote in 1963 for the film “Red Lanterns” by Vasilis Georgiadis. The songs “Cruel Life”, “Poorness”, which were interpreted by Grigoris Bithikotsis, and “The Complain” interpreted by Jenny Karezi. These songs soon became very big successes and were the first songs recorded by Stavros Xarhakos as a composer, and Lefteris Papadopoulos as a lyricist.
The success of these songs was great and constituted for the composer himself, but also for the lyricist a very strong start, which introduced them almost simultaneously in the grand pantheon creators. With the title “Red Lanterns” is released his first big album, enriched with the successes “Saturday Night in Kesariani” and performer Bithikotsis, “Put another table on the table” with an interpretation by Vicky Moscholiou, all in lyrics by Lefteris Papadopoulos.
When, since 1965, the great lyricist and poet Nikos Gatsos has collaborated with Stavros Xarchakos, he has been another very fruitful collaboration in great and timeless successes
