Prodromos Tsaousakis (real name Prodromos Moutafoglou, September 15, 1919 – October 23, 1979) was a Greek rebetiko singer, songwriter, and composer. Born in Constantinople, he moved with his family to Thessaloniki in 1922. After volunteering for the Greek army in 1940 and serving during the Greco-Italian War, he was promoted to sergeant, which inspired his stage name Tsaousakis. His recording career began in 1946 with the Odeon label. He rose to fame through collaborations with Vassilis Tsitsanis, who wrote songs specifically for his voice. He also collaborated with Giannis Papaioannou, Giorgos Mitsakis, Apostolos Kaldaras, and Babis Bakalis, and composed the soundtrack for the film Tzimys o Tigris (1966). His recordings included the multi-volume P. Tsaousakis and the posthumous compilation Tragoudistes tou Rebetikou 3 (1994). Tsaousakis served as the first singing model for a young Stelios Kazantzidis. Although his popularity began to decline after 1955, his work became a cornerstone of Greek folk music. He died of a heart attack on October 23, 1979.
