An offspring of refugees with father from the Asia Minor and mother from Pontus, he lived with his uprooted grandfathers and grandmothers, while he was learning the traditional songs at the village where he was born and raised in the region of Drama, Greece from the mouths of the expatriated that had arrived from their unforgettable countries, from the mouth of the well sounding parents of the live tradition which he experienced through the end of his school years.
In March of 1998 the album “Ageras, Erotas ke Armyra – From the Black to the White Sea”, has been released which very soon and very warmly will be embraced from the Hellenism, it becomes gold and later becomes platinum.
This important performer at this point finds himself at the beginning of the recording of an album, the important moments of the Greek traditional music. Songs from Asia Minor, Constantinople, the Aegean, the Propontine, Smyrni and Pontus. In this album he records for the first time the important song of the Mother, “E Manna en krion neron”, a song that marks him as its unique performer and it’s been loved very strongly by all Greeks, giving him away another big standout and an important success, so when he performs it, the audiences at the venues and around the world become strongly emotional.
The second CD with traditional songs, is from the region of Makedonia. Title: “San ta kria ta nera”, in instrumentation of the important clarinetist of the tradition of Epirus Nikos Phillipides, which becomes highly sold.
The summer of 2006 after a desired suggestion of thousands of Pontians the CD “Anthei ke feri ke’ allo” with traditional songs of Pontus has been released.
Petros Gaitanos has performed and recorded traditional songs from many different areas of Greece, like songs from Thrace, Cyprus, Asia Minor, from the Greek islands, Epirus, Crete, Traditional carols, etc.
Songs with different dialects with interpreting demands something that the Greek artist achieves with great success.
These albums are compromising the reference point in the science of the tradition since Petros Gaitanos, as an experienced and renewed already producer, accompanies these productions with thorough inserts and collaborations with top musicians and folklorists of the traditional Greek music.
He has collaborated with some of the most important artists of the Greek traditional music like, Vasilis Saleas, Petroloukas Chalkias, Chronis Aedonides, Nikos Fillipides, Michalis Kaliontzides, Savvas Siatras, Sofia Kollitiri and others.
He has also collaborated with many traditional/cultural societies and sectors throughout Greece and with the abroad Hellenism as well, in events and collaborations, some artistic αnd some anniversary ones with the occasion of the memory and honor of historical moments of the Romiosity.
Dancing troops, schools, cultural associations, social celebrations in Greece and abroad including always his studio recordings as a referring point for the learning of the traditional dances and music to children and adults, to millions of Greeks throughout the world who placed him in their hearts and choosing his work, meanwhile he has been characterized as one of the important artist of the Greek tradition.
Some of the most important traditional songs that have been characterized by his expression are: “Se agapo giati ise orea”, “Ehe yia Panagia”, “Roumbalia garoufalia”, “Archontogios pantrevete”, “Milo mou kokkino”, “E manna en krion neron”, “Sto pa ke sto xanaleo”, “Tzivaeri”, etc.