Zacharias Kasimatis, was born in Smyrna in 1896. He learned music as a child, and by about 1916 he was playing mandolin in the famous orchestra of Smyrna, “The Politakis”. Later he changed to playing the guitar. In the Asia Minor catastrophe, he was captured, but managed to reach Greece in 1923. From that year until his death he played in Smyrnaika, folk bands and Rebetiko bands sometimes as a singer and sometimes as a guitarist.
He recorded several sides under his own name in the early 30’s. Thereafter he worked steadily as a side man until shortly before his death. He wrote several songs that have become part of the Rebetiko canon. He died in Athens in 1966.