Limpopo has its origins in Moscow since 1986. This group toured the former Soviet Union performing in some of its more famous theaters. At the peak of Limpopo’s fame there, Yuri & Igor emigrated to the United States with only two of the original cast at his heels. In 1991, Limpopo reformed in the States as a four-member folk and comedy troupe. They were very successful performing for audiences of all ages across Canada and the United States at music and comedy festivals, children’s festivals, clubs, and college campuses. In 1993, they competed on and won the Ed McMahon’s International Star Search band competition. In 1995, they showcased at The National Association for Campus Activities convention in Boston where over 150 colleges signed up to bring the band to their campuses! They were voted by readers of Campus Activities Today magazine as "Best Music Act for 1995". They were nominated for Group of the Year at the 1996 Kerrville Music Awards. They were featured in a long running national TV ad for KIT KAT candy bars which became a tongue-in-cheek anthem for them. L.A.’s number one watched news program, KTLA Morning News, featured a live interview and performance of Limpopo and the Los Angeles Music Center on Tour proudly touts Limpopo as one of their most popular and celebrated artists.
Category:
Band
Additional Category:
Band
Genre:
Dance, Folk, Jazz, New Age, Polka, Russian, World Music
Levi Chen & Liqudi Gardens - North Hollywood, California
“Welcome to Liquid Gardens”
“Few have brought together the ages like string virtuoso Levi Chen… spinning dreamy clouds filled with echoes and eerie twang as if Pink Floyd had been produced by Confucius…”
Mike Bell, Vancouver Echo
“Few have brought together the ages like string virtuoso Levi Chen… spinning dreamy clouds filled with echoes and eerie twang as if Pink Floyd had been produced by Confucius…”
In an ever expanding world of available music, Levi Chen’s unique musical voice is instantly recognizable to any of the tens of thousands who have seen him play.
Levi performs on one of the newest and one of the oldest stringed instruments known to man: a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, and the Gu Zheng (Chinese Harp or Zither,) an ancient instrument played in China for 3,000 years. Levi’s ability to express himself on these two instruments is all the more remarkable in that he performs on them simultaneously, a technique he calls ‘Solo Duets.’
"Lush soundscapes balanced by enthralling melodies.... Personally I believe that Leo Fender smiled when he heard the true voice of his creation in Levi Chen's most capable hands.”
BEAR, Host/Producer WWSP 90FM,
A mesmerizing and dynamic performer, Levi’s “Eastern Western” compositions provide sonic canvases for his signature guitar work and frequent improvisation. Levi Chen and Liquid Gardens (the band) are at their best in concert, creating a multi-media experience. The current line up of Liquid Gardens includes Jason Parmar on drums, Matt McJunkins on bass, and Jasun Edelmann on keyboards.
A self described "Taoist Rasta Zen Cowboy Gypsy 007," Levi would rather be on stage than anywhere else. This desire, combined with his unique visual appeal, talent, and most importantly the music itself, has led him to perform and travel across the US, Europe and Asia. In February 2004, Levi Chen and Liquid Gardens performed at the “Say Yes to Taiwan” music festival, which was broadcast live on national TV.
“…the symmetry of East and West he achieves lets the two instruments meld their sound together…Levi Chen manages to express himself with a distinctive voice that sets him a notch above a very crowded field.”
New Age Voice Magazine,
Levi and the music he calls Liquid Gardens have been heard on over 350 radio stations, in over 30 countries. His previous album “Alhambra,” was the Number #1 radio recording for October 2001, as reported on The New Age Voice “Airwaves” airplay charts. His music has been featured on national and international TV shows, such as “Friends” and “Dangerous Minds.” He has just finished his eighth studio album “Devocean”, and is planning a “Live” CD + DVD package for release in 2007.
“Levi Chen has concocted an East/West and further west fusion … beautifully fragile melodies draped in ethereal atmospheres.” (*Highly recommended because of it’s musical merit)
John Diliberto, Billboard Magazine
Levi Chen’s Devocean by Ray Tusken
"Devocean" is a musically-dazzling, guitar-driven sonic adventure. "Devocean" is a sea of compassion that connects all continents, all peoples. Levi Chen, the composer/rock guitar & new age Chinese harp player, navigated that sea while making this album. Recorded on three continents, with 30 guest musicians, "Devocean" was inspired by the suffering of victims of recent natural disasters, and of Levi's own father, Pi Chao Chen, who passed away on March 25, 2005. .
After making seven albums between 1993-2001, Levi took a break from his constant solo and ensemble recording and performances. He went to live in Portugal in 2001, and upon hearing of the SARS epidemic in China and Taiwan, began to write music to express his compassion. His father's subsequent illness made that feeling much more personal. He returned to L.A. in 2003, where he became Pi's caretaker. Eventually, he took his father home to Taiwan, where Levi wrote "Memory," the overture of “Devocean” in the hospital as Pi was about to leave his body. Returning to L.A. in April 2005, Levi began work on this album, a cinematic celebration of life and its joys and sorrows.
This music is completely organic in origin (those are real string and horn sections.) During the production, to construct the sound he wanted, Levi became expert in the use of ProTools, working with engineer Brad Cobb. The record became a meeting of ancient and modern instruments and 21st Century digital technology. "Devocean” could be the soundtrack to a movie by Kurosawa, David Lean or Ang Lee.
There will be videos, of course. These will reveal even more about Levi the Artist, his international background and travels (he speaks six languages), and his aesthetic. First up: “Sound and Recent Sorrow,” in which sleeping, ghost-like Butoh dancers, representing the world’s suffering, are awakened by the healing power of music. It can be seen as Levi’s personal transformation into a spiritual warrior in the musical realms…
Mostly, though, there will be live shows. All kinds. Solo, meditative experiences. Jam-banding with Liquid Gardens, the group named for Levi's musical style. Festivals and temples. Rock and jazz venues. All over the world. Prepare your heart to be opened, your mind to be blown. Set sail! --Ray Tusken December 16, 2006
Category:
Band
Additional Category:
Solo
Genre:
Alternative, Ambient, Caribbean, Celtic, Childrens Music, Christian Rock, Electronic, Funk, Fusion, Jazz, New Age, Reggae, Rock, World Music
2000s Hits, Ambient, Electronic, Funk, Fusion, Gospel, Hip-Hop, Industrial, Jazz, Motown, New Age, Pop, Rythym and Blues, Reggae, Rock, Ska, Techno, World Music
powerful,performance filled,crazy fun, trio of madness, basiclly ROCK-N-ROLL on the ROCKS with a twist of lemon or whatever your ears desire,i.D.S. delivers the goods when needed everytime.
Category:
Band
Additional Category:
Band - Rock
Genre:
70s Hits, Alternative, Beach Music, Dance, Metal, New Age, Pop, Punk, Rock
