Kallipetis Kostas

Kostas Kallipetis was born in 1938 in Agios Giorgis, Vessa, Chios. He was an amateur musician, playing the toumbi (drum), clarinet and tsambouna (bagpipes). He was self-taught on the tsambouna and toumbi, watching his father playing the toumbi with another tsambouna player. He took clarinet lessons for a time when he was about 17 years old, and also played in the Navy Philharmonic during his military service. However, his main instrument was the tsambouna. From the age of 12, he mainly played during Carnival. He was a farmer by trade, as was his father. In 1964 he emigrated to Australia, where he spent 22 years working as a welder. There he continued to play the tsambouna at christenings, parties and birthdays, and has played music in many parts of Greece. He himself was a tsambouna-maker. His repertoire included syrtos, chasapiko, Carnival tunes, tsifteteli and kalamatiano.