With Michael Matheos leaving the group in
1971 to pursue solo interests, the Trio Bel Canto needed to find a lead
bouzouki player. After a short hiatus they discovered a young man by the name
of Takis Elenis. Takis was a fireball of a bouzouki player whose precision in
his playing of the instrument continued to make the Trio Bel Canto "the best"
in Greek entertainment. Rehearsing eight hours a day and committing himself to
his new team, Takis was the perfect addition to the Trio. His youthful
appearance and his mastery of the bouzouki were excellent complements to the
vocal harmonies of Evangelos and John. During the seventies the group went
everywhere. Domestically, they played every major festival and event across the
United States. Internationally, they traveled to the Caribbean (January 1975),
Australia (February 1976), Panama (late 70's) and Canada, and in 1979 they went
back to Greece to record their "Road of Return" album. Their popularity was at
such a high here in the U.S., they even made a third Carnegie Hall appearance
in the early part of the decade, and began making frequent appearances on the
Maria Papadatos television show, a popular variety program that appealed to the
Greeks in the greater New York area. The Trio was booked solid, often four and
five times per week. In the midst of their live performances they continued to
record albums and cassettes with their unique renditions of modern Greek music.
They were, undisputedly, the #1 Greek band in the country, and one of the top
Greek groups in the world. Beginning in 1966 and continuing to 1979 and beyond,
they were in the middle of a thirteen-year popularity rise to fame which peaked
in the seventies. (Click on a thumbnail to view the
enlarged photo, then use the "Back" button of your browser to return to this
gallery.)
