Cretan traditional Music by the Cretan Traditional Workshop Aerakis www.cretanmusic.gr Stelios Aerakis is the Producer and General Manager of the Cretan Musical Workshop. He was born in Sisarha Anogia. The rich musical tradition of this part of Crete has left him ‘no choice’ but to focus his attention– even as a child– to traditional musical instruments such as the mandolin and the lute.
Although he is a graduate electrical engineer, he has never practiced this profession. His passion was music and to the latter he has devoted his time, energy and effort. As a professional musician and lute player, he did a number of performances on a national as well as international level working with some of the best and most recognized folk Cretan artists including the memorable Nikos Xsilouris with whom he worked from 1967 to 1974.
Sometime in 1974, he settles with his family in Heraklion where he still lives to this day. The same year, he decides to enter the recording business and he founds himself in charge of the representation of the multinational Columbia records in Crete.
In the years to follow, he has plenty of opportunities to see for himself the indifference and negligence the record companies demonstrate for folk music. He senses the growing need for a responsible and professional record company devoted to this musical genre and hence he decides to start his own business.
As a result in 1980, he founds the Cretan Music Company “Aerakis Α.Ε.Μ.Ε”. Due to conflicting interests, his partnership with Columbia records ends and consequently leads to a series of financial ups and downs for the following years. In 1986 with the help of some friends, he founds the “Cretan Musical Workshop” that focuses solely to recordings.
His 25 year old experience in the recording business allows him to know its ‘secrets’ as few people do. Secrets that he uses for promoting diachronical publications and recordings that focus on promoting Cretan Music.
As a musician himself, a devoted scholar of the Cretan Music Tradition as well as an experienced businessman of the recording business, Stelios Aerakis is responsible for the recording of a series of successful music albums that are characteristic for their attention to detail and technique as well as their musical qualities.
Proof of his professional credibility are his numerous collaborations with outstanding artists, musicians and composers from Crete and Greece such as Giannis Markopoulos, Stavros Xsarhakos and Hristodoulos Halaris. Unique are also considered his production of more than 200 albums to this day by the public.
Nevertheless, Stelios Aerakis does more than aid young folk artists record their albums and promote contemporary Cretan music to the world. His lifetime work is focused on preserving and recording the work of older artists whose music might have disappeared if it was not for him. This work is concentrated on ten musical albums titled “The Masters of Cretan Musical Tradition 1920 – 1955”. These albums are considered to be a landmark of the musical tradition of this island and a valuable source of information for its future scholars.
Equally important are the following albums: “OI KORIFAIOI 1955 -1995”, “KRITON AGIOI”, "THANASIS SKORDALOS 1920 – 1998”, "FOUSTALIERIS 1911 - 1992, To Stelaki apo tin Kriti", "TA RADIOFONIKA”, “KRITON EPOS”, "ARKADIOY EPOS”.
The last ten years the Cretan Musical Workshop has also expanded its activities to book publications. The latter respectfully record the poetic –musical productions of great Cretan poets such as Giorgis Karatzis, Theodoros Riginiotis, Petros Kalomoiris, Manolis Kalomoiris (Liontas) and many more.
Last but not least, It should be noted that the Cretan Musical Workshop is the only regional record company that is a member of Greek Federation of Producers (IFPI). |
