Halkias Lakis

Lakis Halkias was born in Yannena, son of clarinet-player Tassos Halkias.
He belongs to the fourth generation of the Halkias Family—known as the Halkiades, -the largest musical family in Greece.
Lakis took his first steps in music and singing at the age of 7, and became a professional musician at 16; by 18, he had cut his first record. He plays Guitar, Bouzouki, Lute, Tzoura and Oud.
Between 1960 and 1967, he appeared with famous singers such as Sotiria Bellou, Stelios Kazantzidis, Grigoris Bithikotsis, Giorgos Zambetas and others. He also worked with the great rebetes: Markos Vamvakaris, Yannis Papaioannou, and Vassilis Tsitsanis. At the same period, he travelled around to country festivals and popular feasts with the Halkiades.
In 1967 he left for the U.S. and Canada, remaining outside Greece until 1971. In one of his appearances, he collaborated with Anthony Quinn on a Sacramento TV production of Nikos Kazantzakis’s work “Zorba the Greek”.
In 1971, he returned to Greece where began recording popular songs in collaboration with Christos Nikolopoulos, Loukianos Kelaidonis, Pythagoras and Yannis Markopoulos.