LISTEN: Joburg teen bouzouki prodigy Pano Couloubis brings musical magic to airwaves

702’s Bongani Bingwa speaks with Pano Couloubis, Bouzouki sensation and his mentor Costa Nicolaou

Listen below:

Pano Couloubis has been playing the Bouzoukis since he was just 7 years old and was quickly recognised as a prodigy.

At age 12, he was invited to perform at the prestigious Archaeological Museum in Patra, Greece, where Ambassador Sisulu and the Minister of Culture attended.

Earlier this year, he performed at the Greek Festival at Montecasino before 6,000 people and was recently honoured with a spot at the esteemed Gala for "The SA Guild of Speech & Drama".

To add to his already impressive CV, he made history by being the first instrumentalist to receive a perfect score in the festival's history, outshining 1,600 participants from 40 Gauteng schools.

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Couloubis says he is still learning and honing his skill with the instrument, but estimates he has already spent around 2,500 to 3,000 hours playing.

“I just fell in love with the instrument. It was meant to be.”

- Pano Couloubis, Bouzouki sensation 

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