His older brother Nikistratos was playing the lira and so did Mitsos Kaffatos – one of the best musicians in Rethymno at that time – who was to become Kostas’ tutor.

In those days, he played his lira and sang at the village coffee shop, and later at wedding receptions.

In 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 pramateutis", "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".

Kostas Mountakis played an important and vital role to the popularization of the lira as well as to the formation of its teaching methods.