Kostas Mountakis was born in February 1926 at the village Alfa in Milopotamos, Rethimnon. His parents came from the village Kallikratis in Sfakia. His older brother Nikistratos was playing the lyre and so did Mitsos Kafatos - one of the best musicians in Rethimnon at that time - who was to become Kostas’ tutor.

When the military occupation started Kostas was only 15 years old. Those days, he used to play his lyre and sing at the village’s coffee shop. Sooner than later, however, he managed to play all alone at his first wedding reception.

Near the end of 1952, Kostas Mountakis participated for the first time in an album recording when he accompanied Stelios Koutsourelis at the song “Arpaxsa kai Baildisa”. In 1954, he recorded his first personal album accompanied by the Koutsourelis brothers with the all time classics “De thelo stin kardia”, “O pramateutos”, “O argaleios”, “Milonades kai mazoxtres”, “Sto stadio pou m’efere”, “Rethemniane mou kantife”, “Harami sou”, Erotokritos”, “Kritikos Gamos”, “H mahi tis Kritis”, “O thanatos tou lirari”. These songs are a small sample of his music.

Kostas Mountakis played an important and vital role to the popularization of the lyre as well as to the formation of its teaching methods. His overall contribution to the music tradition of the island is priceless.