Diesi

Diesi, a traditional Greek band covering a vast repertoire from all regions of present-day Greece and beyond is

based in Montreal and consists of Panagiotis Bakalis (Clarinet, Flute, Tsambouna, Gkainta), Harry Karavitis (Violin, Vocals), Panagiotis Bournakis (Laouto), and Chris Darsaklis (Percussion). The members of Diesi developed an appreciation for traditional Greek music from a young age due to their involvement in folklore dance groups in the community. Through their participation in numerous performances and seminars both in North America and Greece, they developed a network with many renowned figures in the traditional dance and music scene. Under the guidance of such individuals, Diesi began developing a musical repertoire from throughout Greece, always with respect to the local traditions and the intricacies of the musical styles. The band has performed at numerous cultural events, seminars, dance shows and social functions throughout North America also collaborating with various artists from Greece. Various conferences at which Diesi have played include Laografia – Hellenic Cultural Conference (Montreal, 2011-2025), Koinonia Seminar (Los Angeles, 2015-2024), Kefi Conference (Boston, 2024), among others. In addition, they have been featured on local Greek television programming, and partaken in various festivals including the Festival of Folklore (London, Ontario), Festival des traditions du monde de Sherbrooke and various local festivals primarily in Central and Northern Greece. Diesi has collaborated with several traditional dance groups in Canada including La Troupe Folklorique Grecque Syrtaki (Montreal), Paradosi Hellenic Dance Company (Toronto), Romiosyni Dance Group (Halifax), Dionysos Dancers (Edmonton) and The Odyssey Dance Troupe (Ottawa) among others. Since 2013, Diesi has also participated annually in the dance competition FDF, organized by the Metropolis of San Francisco, playing alongside various dance groups from the Western United States primarily based in California.