In the decade of the '90s, the Trio Bel
Canto primarily performed in local clubs of the greater New York City area, as
well as playing the local Greek dinner-dances and festivals for which they were
still very much in demand. Evangelos Metaxas managed to hold the group together
and continued to seek more work. (In September of 1995 they went on a weeklong
cruise to Bermuda.) In 1997, George Vlismas left the group to pursue other
interests, and from that point, the Trio Bel Canto used a number of different
players to fill the role of "bouzouki player" and "third vocals". In 1998,
Evangelos Metaxas and John Papamakariou, along with Aggi Giannopoulos, went to
Greece to attempt a "comeback" of the Trio Bel Canto. Their plan was to record
an album and then promote it in the entertaiment industry there. Unfortunately,
the music business in Greece has become "cut-throat", with many young stars
fighting tooth and nail to become famous. In order to record an album, the Trio
would need to shell out quite a bit of money, because no one was willing to
back them up financially, thinking that their glory days were over.
Discouraged, Evangelos returned back to the States, but this time without his
partner. John Papamakariou decided to quit the group and remain in Greece; a
lifelong partnership that lasted fifty years came abruptly to an end. Despite
this minor setback, Evangelos was determined to continue the Trio Bel Canto. As
a replacement for John, he brought his son, Kyriakos, into the group. "Chuck",
an accomplished guitar player, learned his father's repertoire and quickly
became the guitarist and second vocalist to the Trio. With regards to a
bouzouki player, the Trio has used a few "guest artists" to perform with them,
such as Aggi Giannopoulos, Avram Pengas, and Nick Mandoukos, to name a few.
These musicians are dedicated to Evangelos and his group, and strive to achieve
the level of excellence that he demands. (Click on a
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