Petoloukas Chalkias returns to the birthday, Pogoni.

It is the place that sculpted his soul, determined his life, gave voice and emotion to his clarinet.

Respect, dignity, offer was his values, which immediately recognized, those who knew or worked with him. He was born in Delvinaki Pogoniou in 1934, but his childhood lived in Kastaniani’s father’s village, Pericles Chalkia. Music family. The father was playing clarinet, the brother of the violin. The musical sounds accompanied him, killed him from his infancy. Very young, seven years old, during the war, he made his first clarinet. He took a wood, pierced it with some iron, made 6 holes, put a blast mouthpiece.

He went to Doliana, there he also took a clarinet lessons, with teacher Filipipos Rudas, who immediately saw his talent. They were playing together, at weddings and festivals, in Pogoni, in Zagori, throughout Epirus. At the age of 22, an invitation from America for collaboration with 12 songs with a company, was the reason to stay there for 20 years. His clarinet became known in many states where he worked in nightclubs and caught the attention of great American musicians, such as Louis Armstrong and jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman, who bowed to his talent.

When Ronald Rigan was informed of his craftsmanship, he asked to play at the White House. As it did.

“Leaves a legacy of an immense value of folk culture, a treasure, folk music of music“, Emphasizes the Epirus singer of the folk traditional songs, Savvas Siatras, who will fate the Patriarch of Epirus music shortly before his burial.

Savvas Siatras speaks with emotion about the big teacher – the last fatal

“I had heard him in the 1960s, on a 45 -speed record of the record company Music Box, if I’m not mistaken, in two songs. The staircase that impressed me and I stun it -I get joke.

In 1978 he returned to Greece. Then I worked in the “Greek Village”, a center of traditional music, in the corner of Veranzeros and Menandrou with the brothers Foti. Upon his return, many colleagues called him “American” to reduce his talent. I met him and persuaded him to stay, because he was thinking of returning to America because he saw that the climate was not favorable. So it started with us in the “Greek Village”.

In 1979 there were earthquakes in Igoumenitsa. I suggested to the Pan -Epirus to become a concert to support earthquakes. So it was in Sporting, with presenter Alkis Stea, in which I talked about participating in the event, Petros Lucas, “to see our compatriot who came from America,” Staas says. Petros was stored! “

According to Mr Siatras, concerts followed, then we worked with his late son Babi.

He was a tireless musician, playing with his heart, says and remembers their last meeting before Easter, when they participated in an Easter television show by the Ano Liosia Epirus Association.

“… As if we were the last time we played together? …” There are the words he said then, to Mr. Siatra … Perhaps a little prophetic Petros – Lucas.

Savvas Siatras will fate him, as he did for his son Babi a few years ago.

Kastaniani remembers him and honors him

RES-EIA visited Kastaniani’s father’s village. Community President Michalis Kolios opens the Folklore Museum to show us the music family of Halkia. The museum’s showcases are adorned by the photos, clarinets and family violin. Petros Loukas, Pericles ‘father and Achilles’ brother, with the violin.

The village remembers and honors. Mr. Dimitris Botsios, 81, in his words, takes us back in time, then in the difficult childhood years, where he and his older brothers grew up with Petros Lucas.

“.. Forts, we ate together, bobota and sour milk. I was the youngest, with my siblings he had friends, “he recalls and continues.

“He always returned to our neighborhood, to our homes. Tied with us. When it came, the feast was great. To express his feelings for us, he wrote a happy purpose we were dancing. He said, the Botsamas. “

In Delvinaki, Charalambos Metsios, a relative of the world Peter Lucas, tells us that every summer he came to the village for two months. There was his place, his own people. He returned to the courtyards, in cafes, he had a beautiful life in the village he loved.

“If you listened to him tell you stories, emotions, joys, sorrows, experiences from his life, they feel that he suddenly became rich,” he says with emotion and continues: “He did not only know Pogoni, Epirus, Greece, he was the man. He always told us that in order to rise high, in any place, it is not meant to have four basic virtues, to characterize him, the ways, the behavior, the dignity and the respect. “