Michalis Kounelis was a popular Cretan

Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...

 violin

Violin

The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....

ist (see Cretan folk music

Music of Crete

The music of Crete is a traditional form of Greek folk music called κρητικά . The lyra is the dominant folk instrument on the island; there are three-stringed and four-stringed versions of this bowed string instrument, closely related to the medieval Byzantine lyra. It is often accompanied by the...

).

He started playing violin when he was ten years old. It is known that when he was in the elementary school, he was usually playing his violin with his cousin, Manolis Katsonakis, another popular Cretan musician. He and Manolis Kartsonakis were one of the most popular musical duets during the 1950s in Chania

Chania

Chaniá , , also transliterated Chania, Hania, and Xania, older form Chanea and Venetian Canea, Ottoman Turkish خانيه Hanya) is the second largest city of Crete and the capital of the Chania peripheral unit...

. They were also known as "Kounelakia" which in Greek means "little bunnies" (as "Kounelis" means "bunny" in Greek).

In 1957, Kounelis went to Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

 and stayed there until 1982 where he played in numerous Cretan folk music festivals.