Chalki and the little island of Alimia , are two of the smaller islands of the Dodecanese that constitute a small unity lying to the west of Rhodes. Their inhabitants are mostly engaged in agriculture, stock-breeding and , in a smaller extent bee-keeping. But ever since the danger of piracy ceased to exist and until the Second World War, many of the Chalketes turned to the sea , especially to sponge-fishing. Sponges brought wealth to the island resulting in an era of prosperity. But later on, sponges lost their market value (after the emergence of plastic )forcing the islands to migrate (both inside and outside Greece)in search of a better fortune. Today, only a few people line in the island on a permanent basis and produce in agriculture, live -stock and fishing is quality minimal.
   Despite its small size, chalki has a relatively rich and most interesting musical repertoire. Its songs cover the circle of the life and the circle of time. Among other interesting songs , stand alone the unique "chelidonismata"(songs of the swallows) a kind of carol for the 1st of March , serving as welcome to Springtime, as well as to raise goodies for the children.
   This Kind of song , the use of which , according to Athenaeus, Cleovoulos the Lindian had taught the ancient Rhodians , goes back to th 6th century B.C. Only slightly (as Baund-Bovy has shown),this same song was being sung until recently in Chalki , in the same way that the ancient Rhodians used to sing:

Bring us strings of figs from your wealthy house , a cup of wine and
a basketful cheese…

   More over , equally interesting are the soulful tunes , upon which the Chalketes base their mantinadas. Tunes with peculiar names, like: Kalaerfistikos (or kaladerfistikos) Tis avgis , tis Ariedenas ,tis Marouritsas, Tou Hadrgiyianara, Tou Yiagoussi, tis Penragiotissas, Tis Vlachas, etc.
   The Chalketes accompany theis singing with the old kind of peashaped lyra, now threatened by anxtiction.The last lyra players of the island are the elderly.The last lyra players of the island are the elerly Kostis Zambetoulas and the youngerChristos Hadgiyannis who, likemost of the Chalketes not having migrated , live in the nearly island of Rhodes here is what they have played and sang during this meeting, accompanied by the laouto and mandolin:

1. Kalaerfistikos
2. Song of Pentagiotissa
3. Song of the Shepherdess (Tis Vlachas)
4. Hadgiyiannaras
5. Song of the dawn (Tis avgis)