Charalambos Garganourakis was born on June 28, 1946 in Agios Thomas, Monofatsi, Heraklion, Crete, and grew up in a mountain village. Enchanted by the sounds of the lyre and the lute, he first picked up the lyre at the age of ten. It wasn't long before his talent was recognized and by the time he was 17 he had played in most villages of Crete at various events. At 18 he recorded his first 45 rpm record and after the army, in 1970 he played at the first Cretan center in Heraklion, "Erotokritos". He has recorded dozens of records and is a scholar of Cretan music.