Petroloukas Halkias is a living legend of the clarinet and one of the most important representatives of Greek traditional music at the present time. He was born in the village Delvinaki in Pogoni, Epirus where he began learning music from a young age next to the maestros of the Epirotic clarinet; Phillipas Rountas and Kitsos Harisiadis.
His father, Periklis, went to the United States of America before World War II and gained great popularity as a clarinetist. In 1960, Petroloukas Halkias emigrated to the United States where he lived for 20 years, disseminatign the musical heritage of Epirus and performing with numerous different groups.
One of the highpoints of his stay in the United States was the invitation to perform a concert at the White House.
He returned to Greece in the 1980s when he started recording albums that achieved great success in Greece and abroad.
Petroloukas Halkias remains a basis of inspiration for the young generation of musicians.
Discography:
The Soul of Epirus, with Vasilis Kostas (Technotropon, 2019)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.