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Nil Lara
A born musician with a blatant disregard for musical stereotypes, Lara fluently interchanges the Cuban three-toned tres guitar, the cuarto, a Venezuelan four-stringed instrument, the electric guitar and indigenous percussion instruments with an ease that overcomes any self-consciously ethnic sound. The singer, who habitually performs in bare feet, often invites Miami-based Haitian singers or Cuban percussionists to join him and his three piece band on stage. The informal excitement of Lara's shows are fueled by his absorbing stage presence as well as by his brand of grass-roots eclecticism which he has cultivated for some time in the South Florida area. Lara affirms, "we all know grass roots has always worked in the past, so why not do it?"
Lara was born in Newark, New Jersey to Cuban immigrants but spent most of his childhood in Venezuela, where music lessons exposed him to that country's folkloric traditions. At age eight, he learned how to play the cuartro and eventually graduated to the guitar. While studying microwave analysis at the University of Miami, Lara spent his spare time fine tuning his songwriting craft and eventually stumbled into an old friend, the tres, a peculiar tonality used by guajiro (Cuban country) artists. "It wasn't until I saw it and heard it in person that I fell for it and started to really appreciate the root of the sound, which is basically the blues of Cuban Music," he says. Borrowing from the sound, Lara began expressing himself in a less rigid structure, relying on improvisation to enhance both his songwriting as well as his live performances. Touring also has broadened his horizons by sharing his music with new audiences, whom are very receptive. "I firmly believe that touring lets me develop my craft and grow daily. It also lets me experience an immediacy with the feedback I get from an audience and the appreciation that has welcomed my music."
Lara has shared his music touring Europe in such places as: The Roskilde Festival in Denmark, The Chesterfield Cafe in Paris, The Klindende Festival in Brussels, the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands and the Dr. Music Festival in Barcelona. Lara has toured with such greats as: Edwin McCain, Rusted Root, Meshelle N'degeocello, Los Lobos, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Natalie Merchant, Ben Harper, Barenaked Ladies, Johnny Clegg and Juluka and shared the stage with the H.O.R.D.E. Festival (with 311, Lenny Kravitz, Blues Traveler, Wilco, King Crimson, etc.)
Lara’s performances and compositions have been featured in soundtracks, films and television. His song, "My First Child," was included in Atlantic Record's soundtrack for the popular U.S. TV sitcom, MAD ABOUT YOU. He shared the showcase with John Lennon, Hootie and the Blowfish, Sarah McLachlan, Lyle Lovett, Elvis Costello and Anita Baker. Television shows such as PARTY OF FIVE, SCRUBS and MELROSE PLACE and films such as CAFÉ CON LECHE, JUST THE TICKET and FOR LOVE OR COUNTRY have featured his work as well.
Lara's self-titled album (Metro Blue/Capitol), produced by Lara and engineer/producer Susan Rogers (who has collaborated with David Byrne and Michael Penn, among others) confirmed the strength of the artist's powerful range as both a singer and a songwriter in an organic and unpretentious fashion. "Bleeding," a pounding pop song about the scars of lover's strife, showcases the scope of the singer's vocal talent. "Money Makes the Monkey Dance" depicts rampant materialism and reveals Lara's cynical side. "How Was I to Know" an ode to lost love, starts as a soulful ballad and steadily builds to its finale with its double-time rhythm and neo-Indian melodies. The entire album offered a bit of everything to anyone who listened.
With his latest simultaneous album releases, DA and Testimony, Lara showcases his experimental and atmospheric sound. These purposely "low fi-sounding" releases are treated as "mixed media" pieces, as if coming from the hand of a visual artist. Featured in DA one can find such gems as "Sinking In All Your Senses," "Never Listen" and "Given All My Love." And in Testimony, "Woman" and "Find You" can be experienced.
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Woman
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Nil Lara
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Never Listen
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Nil Lara
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Sinking In All Your Senses
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Nil Lara
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Telefunktion
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Nil Lara
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| Links |
Myspace
Beluga Blue Records, MySpace page for Nil Lara's lable
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MySpace
Nil Lara Myspace Page, Miami
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Myspace
Nil Lara MySpace Page
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Official Site
Official Site for Nil Lara
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