They're a couple of talented singer-songwriters from two different countries, but they came to Crete with a common goal – to entertain local residents and visitors with their own unique style of music.

Michael Seraphim, known professionally simply as Michael, is a London native who has been performing as a singer-musician for nearly 15 years.

"Actually, I started as a theatre actor, not as a singer," he said. "Then, on a tour of Greece in 1995, I was stranded in Athens when the show suddenly closed."

In Athens, Michael found an agent but, at that time, there was no work as an actor.

"He said, 'can you sing?' and I told him yes, and, luckily, I haven't stopped since," he recalled.

Michael, who taught himself to play an accompanying guitar, has headlined in clubs and other venues throughout Greece, as well as Turkey, Germany and Austria, but he's never appeared as a singer in his native country.

Shortly after starting his musical career, he made his first appearances in Crete playing at Chickadees, a popular bar and restaurant at that time in Gournes, and clubs in Hersonissos.

This summer, his popular act which features his own tunes, as well as standards in easy listening, pop, soul and reggae, is a major attraction locally. His schedule includes appearances on Thursdays at Baraki Café, Wednesdays at The Bull and Mondays at the Blue Sky Poolside Café, all in Kato Gouves, as well as several hotels in Elounda.

Unlike most singer-songwriters, Michael isn't too concerned about landing a record deal or doing a concert tour.

"Whatever happens, happens," he said. "Right now I'm living my dream…and I love it!"

Unlike Michael, Vincent Trocchia was always interested in music, coming from a musical family in Ohio. His father was a jazz trumpeter, playing with some of the legendary jazz greats, and his mother is an accomplished pianist.

"In my earlier years I never actually considered a career in music," he said. "After obtaining my degree as a recreation administrator, I worked at various jobs in different parts of the country and, in 1994, ended up in Nashville where I was immediately bitten by the music bug. I rushed out, bought a guitar, taught myself to play, and started writing my own songs. I soon realized I was better at this than at anything else I had done."

While seeing himself as primarily a song writer, Vincent noticed that in Nashville, known as America's Music City, most writers were performing their own songs in local clubs.

"I realized, like the others, that the best way to get your songs known is to sing them yourself," he remembered. "Luckily, I have a passable voice and I was able to get work in my new career."

It wasn't long before Vincent's songs were making a ripple on the Nashville music scene, and he started doing freelance work as a staff writer for some of the city's recording studios.

"My sister had moved to Crete, and this year I came here to really concentrate on my song writing," he said. "My goal is to become a staff writer for a major recording studio, like Warner Chappell."

Meanwhile, for the remainder of the season at least, you can catch Vincent performing his collection of country and pop tunes at the Velani Country Hotel in Avdou.