... And what for?

For whatever makes me feel sorrow and touches my soul. Sometime an old man – fearless man, who have fought a lot – just before dies, told me a mantinada (Crete's poem): "I was slight next to slight people, I was brave next to brave people / and I was more than discontent next to discontent people". He was keeping it until his last breath. And he cried and made me also cry. "Do not cry” I said. And he replied “A man who has not cried, he does not get into the fire!" And then I asked him: "Have you scared, when you were fighting in the war?", and he replied: "Many times, but I was saying to myself that whoever dies next to his fellows, he does not fear death. And I was getting ahead in the war, and the coward was getting killed."

Very well!

Whoever says that men do not cry is lying? Which human being does not cry?

These people were your teachers?

These were my teachers and I remember them well and I am lucky that I had the opportunity to meet such figures.

Have you met Hatzidakis?

Yes, when he was organizing some events at Anogeia... He loved me a lot. When I played for the first time in “Cretan Lyra Contest” - do not publish this story, because they will say that I am complimenting my self – he said to the other members in the committee: "What are we doing here? He goes thousands of years ahead and thousands of years back in time..." and he stood and started clapping his hands.

I imagine that these words are of the best one you have heard.

Yes, because they are spooked by a true artist. This is natural. Because are artists are getting together and they communicate. They are like high mountains: they see each other and they love each other... Each year I am going to Moires (a village in southern Crete) in order to listen to Klados Leonidis playing the Lyra. In order to see how he holds the instrument, how he make the introductions into his songs, how he touches the hole thing...

Do you miss old times of your life?

Of course. I miss my childhood, when I was learning how to play the music, how I was listening to my brother Nikos... he was playing so nice and he was also singing so nice. Our home was next to the church, and we always were listening to the choristers. I remember my brother Nikos, as he was climbing to the bed, shrouded with a blanket, and he was starting chanting. And I was chanting also!

Do you think about Nikos frequently?

Every day I think of him. He was the most filled human born. Handsome, corker, a true human being...

Was he better musician than you are?

Much better indeed!

My life is so stormed, but I am pleased. Very, very pleased! Life is a fight. Since the human is born, he is fighting to find bosom to eat, he is fighting to stand up, to walk. Until a morning has come and he reaches the other door and he leaves...

If you were not a musician, what would you like to be?

I would like to have sheeps and goats, and to seat on the mountains...

Do you play music for the animals?

Yes. I play music for the sheep, for the birds, for all the animals. And if you play well, silent, they like and they do not leave. I have found a big tree, at Idaion Antron (at Psiloritis...), with a big cavity. Every night there is a gathering of birds there. Many birds! When I got into the cavity they got scared and they leave. I start playing the Lyra and the birds are coming again. They seat onto the branches, they listen, they move their little heads, but they can not see me. And at once they start singing. And the dogs may bark, the sheep may shout... and all together they compose the music.