Lavrentis Machairitsas (Λαυρέντης Μαχαιρίτσας) was a Greek musician, guitarist, singer, and composer. Born in Volos, Greece, he was exposed to music early through his father, composer and conductor Dimitris Machairitsas, and began piano studies at the age of six. After moving to Athens following his father’s death, he studied singing and worked various jobs before beginning his music career. In the 1970s, he formed the band PLJ, which later became Termites, releasing several albums before disbanding in 1988. He began his solo career in 1989. His breakthrough came in 1991 with "Διδυμότειχο Μπλουζ," performed with Giorgos Dalaras, which reached Number 1 in the Greek charts and achieved gold certification. He later composed music for films, television series, and theatre productions, and collaborated with numerous Greek artists including Maria Farantouri and Haris Alexiou. Machairitsas performed widely across Europe, including Greece, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium. He died on September 9, 2019.
