NIKOS ANGOUSIS
Nikos Angousis was born in Athens, in 1982. He is a third generation musician,
coming from a famous musical family, named «Doitsidis». His impulse for music at first came from his family and specifically his grandfather Karyofyllis Doitsidis, his musical exemplar.He started working on the clarinet at the age of 12 and his first teacher, during his stay in Germany, was the German teacher Johan Weiss. In 1995 he returned to Greece and settled with his family in Thessaloniki.So, for the following four years, he continued his studies with Fotis Terzis in the Municipal Conservatory of Stavroupoli. Meanwhile, he was taking his first steps in traditional music by taking part in concerts with his family.In 2010 he graduated from the Technological Institution of Epirus and specifically the Department of Traditional Music, in Arta.
Thus, apart from the theoretical musicological knowledge he gained during his
studies at the Institution, he took lessons from Giorgos Karaferis for an academical
year, Alexandros Arkadopoulos for two years and Kostas Zervas for a semester.
Concerning his cooperations with other musicians, he has occasionally worked with several singers such as: Glykeria, Gerasimos Andreatos, Vangelis Nanakos, Stavroula Daliani, Doitsidis family, Vangelis Dimoudis, Brenna McCrimmon, Panagiotis Lalezas, Thodoris Mermigas, Manos Koutsaggelidis, Drosos Koutsokostas, Dilek Koç, Areti Ketime, Katerina Papadopoulou, Panagiotis Drakopoulos, Ira Kritarasova, Manolis Syrios, Aspasia Stratigou, Giannis Saoulis, Konstantinos & Matthaios Tsachouridis, Yiota Vei and groups such as: Estoudiadina Neas Ionias Villagers of Ioannina City, kontrabando ensemble, Thrakomelo etc.
He has also been a basic member at several music groups, such as: Loxandra Ensemble, Bratimia, Lalitades of Rodopi etc.Up until now, he has participated in various concerts and festivals of traditional music in many Greek cities and abroad.The last years, he teaches clarinet (Albert system) and woodwind in music schools and conservatories.In conclusion, he has so far noted a high discographic activity.
MAKIS BAKLATZIS
Baklatzis Makis was born and raised in Kavala. In 1996 he started taking Greek
"traditional" violin lessons and in 1997 he attended the Musical High School in Kavala
where he started his musical studies in "classical" violin. He graduated in 2003. In
2000 he entered a national student competition and won 3rd place playing the
traditional violin.
After graduating from high school he went to Thessaloniki where he studied at the
University of Macedonia in the Department of Music Science and Art majoring in the
“greek traditional” violin. During his studies he attended several seminars organized
by leading virtuosos of traditional Greek and Turkish music such as Koukoularis
Stathis, George Korros, Petroloukas Chalkias, Nick Saragoudas, Jasmine
Saragouda, Antonis Apergis, Ross Daily, Baki Kemanci etc.
He has collaborated and performed with musicians such as Doitsidis Kariofilis, Manos Achalinotopoulos, Pazarentis Stavros, Dilek Koc, Areti Ketime, Koutsaggelidis Manos,
Cigdem Aslan and other important artists. Since 2007 he has been a member of the band “Loxandra". He has taken part in various festivals in Greece and abroad in countries such as Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, Netherlands, Sweden.
In 2009 he graduated from the university and in 2010 he started working as a music teacher in primary and music schools in Greece. Ιn 2014 he taught violin in the department of Traditional Music of Technological Institute of Epirus.
For two years 2010-2011 he took part as a musician in a play by Maria Iordanidou called “Loxandra". The play was a production of the State Theatre of Northern Greece directed by Sotiris Hatzakis. He has also given workshops around Europe on domains such as: Modal music (Maqam), Violin techniques, Modal Improvisation (Taksim), Violin in Greek Traditional Music.
In 2017 he graduates from Rotterdam Conservatoire (Codarts), accomplishing the Masters Degree on Violin Performance in World music (Turkish department), specializing on rhythmic and non rhythmic improvisation.
Today he is a member of Bratimia, Loxandra ensemble, Rosal trio and Dilek koc’s
band.
DIMITRIS PANAGOULIAS
Dimitris Panagoulias was born in Thessaloniki in 1974.He studied at the School of
Agricultural Science, of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He has played the drums
since the age of 15 with various rock bands, and in 1997 he started studying Greek
traditional music and percussion (bendir, rek, davul and darabuka), at Dimitris
Barbas’ Greek department of the D. Agostini School of Drumming. He has taken
darabuka seminars with Misirli Ahmet and Levent Yildirim. He has also taken courses
of Byzantine music with Panagiotis Drakopoulos and Sakis Axenopoulos, of oud with
Ziad Rajab and Kyriakos Tapakis, as well as of tabla and Indian rhythms with Sakis
Laios. He’s currently playing with the bands Loxandra, Ragafary, and with Dilek Koç.
He has also worked with the Ziad Rajab Ensemble, Yeden, Contrabando, Neas
Ionias’ Estudiantina, and numerous Greek and foreign artists, such as , Chico
Freeman, Kostas Magginas, Vaggelis Kontopoulos, Giannis Giakoumakis, Kostas
Vomvolos, Dimitris Nikoloudis, David Lynch, Peter Salchev, Nikos & Giasemi
IOANNIS POULIOS
Ioannis Poulios was born in 1979 in Serres where he lives untill today. He was first involved with music at the age of 15, when he started playing the drum set in local bands, at the same time studying the greek lute (both types: cretan and mainland) and the guitar, which are the two instruments he plays today.
While he begun his career as a selftaught musician, he later attended two master classes with George Xylouris in Cretan lute and with Ross Daly in improvisation development and various styles.
In 1996 he became a member of the following music groups: “Ihos kai Paradosi”(Sound and Tradition), “Darnakes “and the” Aeropoulos Lefteris symphonic orchestra”.
After two years of study and personal research, he managed in 2001 to manufacture a new type of lute. This instrument is today called the “bass lute” and it's been played since then by many lute players in Greece. As a result there has also been a development in the different styles in the “mainland” lute.He has collaborated with many musicians, singers, and bands such as: Matthaios & Kostas
Saragoudas, Christos Zotos, Lefteris Zervas, Christos Tsiamoulis, Glykeria, Kariofilis Doitsidis, Talat, Dimitris Barbas, Markos Skoulios, , Manos Ahalinotopoulos, and several others. He has participated in music and dance festivals and concerts in Greece, Switzerland, Italy, France, U.S.A, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Cyprus and Serbia. He’s also teaching traditional percussions on a regular basis.He has worked for the National Theatre of Northern Greece in “Twelfth Night” (direction: E. Gabrielidis, music: F. Tsalahouris), “An Italian Straw Hat” (direction: N. Nikolaou, music: N. Kypourgos), and “Fragments from Euripides’ Vakhes” (direction: T. Ratzos, music K. Vomvolos). During the 2010-2011 theatrical season, he has participated, as a member of the “Loxandra” ensemble, in the production of the successful play “Loxandra” (direction: S. Hatzakis, music supervision: F. Baxevani).
He has participated in recordings for the “Loxandra” ensemble, Ziad Rajab,Nostos,“Empirotechnes”, Sakis Xenoudis, Kostas Bravakis, Dimitris Nikoloudis and several others.
He has collaborated with Giorgos Psaltis for the musical arrangement of Dilek Koç’s album, “Sevdalim aman”, while he's responsible for the arrangement of Koç’s current album, “Suvenir de Salonique”.
Tsahouridis, Mimis Plesas, Melina Aslanidou, Sarina Cross, Vasilis Karras, Stathis Nikolaidis, Vasilis Skoulas, Petros Gaitanos, Giorgos & Nikos Stratakis, Georgia Dagaki, Psarogiorgis, Alexis Parharidis, Pella Nikolaidou, Mihalis Kaliontzidis, Ayub Ali, Areti Ketime, Grigoris Valtinos, Pashalis Tonios, Xronis Aidonidis, Karyofillis Doytsidis, Dilek Cots, Vangelis Dimoudis, Matthaios Giannoulis, Savas Siatras, Giannis Papakostas, Stelios Dardakoulis, Manos Koutsagelidis, Nitsa Tsitra, Vangelis Daskaloudis.
He has performed in many music halls in Greece and abroad such as: Athens Concert Hall, Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Egypt (Cairo Opera, Alexandria Opera), Russia (Moscow Kremlin concert hall), Eastern Russia (Esentouki,Anapa), Iraq Arbil, Souleymania, Australia (Melbourn, Perth, Sidney, Adelais), Canada (Toronto), England (London), Switzerland (Zurich, Bern), Sweden (Göteborg, Stockholm), F.Y.R.O.M (Skopje, Ohrid), Germany (Dusseldorf, Stutgard, Munich, Berlin, Dresd, Hamburg, Hage), Cyprus (Nicosia, Lemesos), Italy(Milan, Rome, San Marino), Belgium (Brussels,Luxemburg), Romania (Bucharest, Iasi, Constanta), Bulgary (Sofia, Bansko, Varna, Plovdiv and in ancient and modern theaters in Greece
His contribution to Greek discography has been significant, due to his participating in varius musical productions of different artists such as: “Ihos kai Paradosi” (Sound and Tradition), “Bratimia”, “Darnakes”, Christos Kaliontzidis, Antonis Pilalidis, “Oi Auges tou Minore” (the Dawns of Minore), “Erasitehnes Erastes” (Amateurs Lovers), “Vlachofona Serres” and “Darnakika Serres”. He has also participated in the recording of many singles as a session musician.
Today he is a member of “Bratimia” and “Tsahouridis Brothers Psyhi kai Soma (Soul and Body) project