The
Hellenic 5 was founded by Kostas Sotiropoulos, who was born in Athens, Greece
in a little neighborhood called Kallithea. In high school, he rode his bicycle
sixteen miles round-trip every afternoon to work as a cleaner at a music
school. His pay was not money, but bouzouki lessons from the owner of the
school, a master of that eight-stringed instrument. He had to quit after
a year: the long ride was too difficult and getting home at night so late
caused arguments with his parents.
But he
continued to find ways to study music--especially bouzouki and baglama--with
some of the best bouzouki players at the time in Athens. Two years later,
at age 17, he immigrated to Chicago where he had relatives. Within two days he
was performing with a local Greek band at a well-known establishment in
Chicago's Greek Town. He soon realized that the Greek music in the States
was very limited compared to what he was used to. Within a year he formed The
Hellenic 5--the Greek quintet--a band that is trying to be culturally focused
as much as possible.
In
addition to performing, Kostas has also written songs and instrumental
compositions featuring the bouzouki, many of which receive regular radio
airplay worldwide and have been sung by some of the best Greek singers.
Hellenic 5 is in the process of recording an album featuring Kostas’
compositions.
Hellenic
5 specializes in music for the traditional cultures of Greek people; their
extensive repertoire includes traditional folk dance music, to the contemporary
music heard in Athens today. Hellenic 5 has performed at a variety of
venues in Greece and throughout North America and, in their hometown of
Chicago; they regularly play for many Greek restaurants and events as well as at
local nightclubs and festivals. The Hellenic Five is in demand backing up
singers and dance groups that come to the United States from Greece and they
have performed in tribute events for Melina Mercouri, Yiannis Ritsos and
Stelios Kazantzidis.
Hellenic
5 is a band with a social and civic conscience; they play for many charitable
organizations and benefits such as The Leukemia Society and The AIDS Foundation
and are especially responsive to requests to play to help raise money for
children from Greece and other countries abroad that need operations and/or
transplants.