Nikos Pourpourakis/Nick Dakis: Born on the island of Oinousses off the coast of Chios. Nick learned to play the mandolin and at age * and followed his father John Koutsoudakis, a musician who played laouto, playing with him at various festivals, weddings and events that took place on the island.

Nick came to the United States at a young age in the early ****'s. He landed in Virginia where he stayed with some relatives. He brought a bouzouki with him. When he went up to New York, he had the bouzouki in a bag (he did not even have a case for it) and went to one of the clubs and announced that he was a bouzouki player. The owners gave him a job immediately as in those days not very many people here in the states played the bouzouki. So at ** years of age he began playing at the club, sitting in the back row. One week later, the club owners saw something special and brought Nick up to the front row with the major players.

Nick was earning $**.** a week in the early ****s. Eventually a club owner from Boston noticed him and offered him $***.** a week to play at his club. There was no stopping Nick now.

Nick worked with Markos Melkon and Udi Hrant in the early years, playing "alla turka." He began orchestrating and directing music and recorded approximately ** records under the label Kalos Diskos. He recorded his famous "O Soultanos" and worked along side Theodoros Kavourakis, Andreas Poggis, Athanasios Athanasiou, Roza Eskinazi, Virginia Magidou and Angeliki Pallagoudi.

Nick worked with Beba Blans, Zoe Nahi, Poly Panou, Yianni Tatasopoulos, Anna Chrisafi, Manolis Angellopoulos, Vangeli Perpindiadis, Evgenikos, Roukounas, Nicos Tseperis and many more (this list will be updated).

He also worked with Manoli Hiotis at the Zappion Pavilion in New York. They worked the same stage, separate shows but did play together as well when the occasion called for it.