Bio

The Blue Planet was conceived by Holly Avila from her roots in American folk music, both contemporary and traditional. In the mid '80's, she heard an album by Los Lobos which sent her on a romantically inspired quest through Latin music. She played bass with the Juggernaut String Band, and at the Philly Folk Fest in 2000, she introduced her first Tex Mex song, "Not Loving You" on the Main stage to an audience that responded enthusiastically. She went on to form her own band in order to pursue further her Latin American inspired musical interests. She met an accordion player extraordinare, Ralph Romano, a seasoned professional from the Catskills circuit, and gave him cd's of Mexican and Colombian music to inspire his sound to fit her vision. She had also met a Peruvian musician at an Andean festival, and invited him to add his instrumentation to the mix to create her totally unique combination of Central and South American influences. With the drumming and percussion from Carolyn Burbage, who she met through African drum circles, you have the incredibly rhythmic and melodically lovely sound that the Blue Planet has created. As a perfect finishing touch, Ian Kirk brings his North American blues and jazz influence on the electric guitar, making the essential final statement of Pan American fusion.