Another great loss in the music industry
Heavy mourning for her Victoria Chalkiti and her family, since as she announced in a story a little while ago, her father, Haris Chalkitis, passed away at the age of 79.
The famous composer was the one who first realized his daughter’s talent in singing and pushed her towards the field of music. Their relationship has always been very close and for Victoria it is certainly a huge blow and his own loss 14 years after the loss of her mother Anita who fought a hard battle with cancer for a year and a half and her death was a huge thorn for her her daughter that she found incredibly difficult to manage.
Who was Haris Chalkitis?
Composer, arranger and singer, but above all a complete musician. He is the creator of the music project “Queen Samantha”, he plays piano, saxophone, drums, percussion and several other instruments. “A true artist”writes Vassilis Dimitriadis on b-otherside records in a great tribute to him and continues:
In 1961 he came to Greece from Egypt and participated in Greece’s first rhythm group, the Playboys, together with Nikos Adamas, Vassilis Tzavara and Kouka. Together with them he wrote and orchestrated the songs Pourquoi and Nansy in 1966, which are considered the best in the group’s career, while Dakis and Philippos Nikolaou have already been added, who with their very good vocals, give a new boost to the group.
From 1965 onwards, they appear in Sweden for several seasons, under the name Atena Beach Boys while he gradually develops his skills as a multi-instrumentalist, now dealing outside of the saxophone, with the clarinet, flute, percussion, bass, piano etc. At the same time, he jams countless times with local bands, while with the Playboys he will also be at the casino in Lebanon in 1968. Going back to Sweden, he will join the Gino Martini Orchestra, while also participating in a multitude of Polish, Italian, Czechoslovak, Swedish and mixed orchestras. , one of which featured Benny Anderson (ABBA).
On a European tour in 1968 and playing at the Strand Hotel in Stockholm, Gerasimos Lavranos offered him to join his band, which he accepted, also appearing in the movie “Wedding Night”, with Tsikita taking over the vocals. Gordon, Demis Roussos and Frankie Skeen. It should also be noted that in a jam held at the Hellenic-American Union in 1967, he became one of the pioneers of Free jazz music in Greece, participating in a jazz trio together with Vangelis Papathanasiou and George Lavranos.
Ending his collaboration with Lavranos’ band, he returns to Sweden where in 1970 he receives an invitation from Demi Roussou to join Aphrodite’s Child and indeed participates in the album – station “666”, playing bass, percussion, saxophone, vocals, while he also participates in tour of the scheme in many European cities.
With the dissolution of the scheme, he collaborates with Demi Rousseau, taking over the entire production on his amazing first album “Fire and ice”, as well as with other well-known and not only French singers of the time, such as Mireille Mathiew, Nicolette, Dalida , while participating in the 7” single with the group Eros (together with Louka Sideras, Laki Vlaviano and Dimitris Tamposis). At the same time, his personal discography also begins through his first single entitled Echoes of Jerusalem in 1973, but also his first major record entitled “Marita”, which is a huge success, breaking the boundaries of France and marking consecutive releases throughout Latin America.
In 1974 he will take part in the recording of Vangelis Papathanasiou’s Earth album, while in the same year he will take part in an ephemeral band with the same name and together with Argyris Koulouris and Vangelis Papathanasiou, will play at the Queen Elizabeth Hall as a support group for Focus , gaining traction and causing Pink Floyd manager Steve O’Rourke to take his hat off to them. In 1976 he won the first prize at the French festival “Rose D’Or” and in 1978 he first entered the charts of all Europe and immediately after in the USA 100 charts, reaching No. 14 with the song “Take a chance”, through the pioneering disco project Queen Samantha, which continued in 1979 with Queen Samantha II.
In 1982 he opens his wings in the field of singing and participates in the Seoul Song Festival winning 1st place, while immediately after he decides to settle permanently in Greece, collaborating with musicians such as Polina, Zanet Kapougia, Dakis, Kostantina, Efi Sarri, Manto, Athina Mavromati, Amanda, Andros Kostantinou, Giorgos Katsinis, Victoria Chalkitis, making songs that hit the Greek charts, occupying first place for weeks.
At the same time, Haris Chalkitis is successfully involved in the field of advertising jingles for television and radio, having hundreds of successful jingles to his credit, while he continuously participates as a musician in recordings and performances, with the show “Marinella at REX” being the highlight. Always thriving and active, he hits the international charts again with the song “Sham Sham”, which under the production of the Swedish reality show Club GOA, combines harmonious elements of Greek, Indian and Arabic music, gaining fanatical listeners all over the world. sample of the inexhaustible talent of the charismatic Haris Chalkitis.
The last project he had undertaken to carry out is a concept of combining rock opera with a symphony orchestra, with many original applications and stage innovations on musical elements, which is expected in the near future.
Source: Skai
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