Grigoris Samolis was born 19 November 1910 in the village Aimonas, in the precinct of Mylopotamos in Rethymno where he graduated Primary school.
At the age of 5 he started playing the lyra. His first teachers were Giorgos Skoutelis and Stratos Gounakis.
While styding at year one in the High School of Perama he took part at the Panhellenic Competition of Traditional Music in Athens and won the first prize.
His first performance was at a wedding at the reception place “Pelagos” in Rethymno. He also performed on several TV shows on local Cretan channels.
He has perfomred with many famous lute players like: Nektarios Kontogiannis, Manolis Kaklis, Nikos Manias, Giannis Markogiannakis, Vangelis Tsafantakis, Giorgos Kontogiannis, Kostas Karandinos, Giannis Petsakis, Michalis Petsakis, Spyros Skouradakis and with many other newer.
His first discography was released in 2014 from the company “Tarraios”.
In 2017 he participated on the discography of Vangelis Pytharoulis “I Paradosi sinexizteai (The tradition continuous)” with the song ‘Exo pliges“.
In 2018 he song “Spilio” composed by Giorgos Stratakis . The lyrics belong to Katerina Aeraki.
In 2019 he played the lyra and song with Stelios Vasilaki the song “Bee (Μέλισσα)” . The music belongs to Stelio Vasilaki and lyrics belong to Charidimos Siganos and Giannis Vardas (Lyrogiannis). Later again in the 2019 with a corporation with Kosta Alexakis’ discography Amalago (Αμάλαγο) in 5 new songs
In 2021 he participated in the discography from Dimitris Papadakis “Me roda kai me giasemia” and sings “Inta ‘xoune ta xeili sou” composed by Dimitris Papadakis and lyrics are by Chrysoula Papadaki. The same year he also took he song on another discography from Vangelis Pytharoulis “Filxenia”, and sings the song “Erota kalosorises”.
In 2022 he sings “Krouli” from “Pirixos Production“. Music belogs to Vasilis Heretis and lyrics are by Aristidis Heretis. In the same year he sings “Sokakia” composed by Michalis Harkiolakis and lyrics by Michalis Loulakis and Giannis Xydianos.
In 2023 he sings with Dimitris Zografakis “Ainte na xelamisome” with lyrics by Manolis Kritikopoulos and music by Dimitris Zografakis
2024 was a landmark year for Grigoris. He sings with Giorgos Stratakis “Zaeri” with lyrics by Kostas Michael Maris and music by Giorgos Stratakis.
In the same year he releases “O Lyraris“, a landmark song as it was loved throughout Greece and by non-Cretans with lyrics by Despina Spantidaki and music by Dimitris Zografakis. After this song, Grigoris began many appearances outside Crete with thousands of people and many sold-out performances.
In 2025, the first complete album “Militsa” was released, with music in all parts by Nikos Stratakis and lyrics by Vangelis Barbas (Traveler), Despina Spantidaki, Katerina Aeraki, Aristidis Cheeretis (Gyalaftis) and Nikos Stratakis himself.
In 2026, he participated in another new and different interpretation, “Aggelos sti gi (Angel on Earth)”, with lyrics and music by the commander of the Heraklion Traffic Police Department, Police Officer Stelios Karakoudis. The song refers to the youth lost in traffic accidents.
Grigoris Samolis has made several appearances in Cyprus, Germany, America and Canada several times, while in January 2023 he was in Australia at the 41st Oceania Cretan Convention in Melbourne and in Sydney.
Source: www.aimonas.gr
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