Adivina

Adivina was formed in January 2006, and has quickly built a diverse fan base. They play weekly at bars and venues around the Asheville area including Tressa’s and the Grey Eagle. Most recently, they opened for the Spanish Harlem Orchestra at the Artisphere International Music Festival in Greenville, SC.

The diverse musical backgrounds of its members brings together traditions from accross the globe:

River Guerguerian received his Bachelor of Music from the Manhattan School of Music Conservatory and graduated with the school’s award for Most Outstanding Percussionist. While living in NYC he performed and/or recorded with such groups as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, New Music Consort, English Chamber Orchestra, New Band/Harry Partch Ensemble, Tibetan Singing Bowl Ensemble, Talujon Percussion Ensemble (co-founder), Chuck Berry, Sophie B Hawkns, Ziggy Marley/Gipsy Kings, and spent five years developing sounds with Grammy and Oscar winning composer Tan Dun with whom he won a Bessie Award for “Jo Ha Kyu”. He is currently performing with the ensemble of Omar Faruk Tekbilek, world famous ney flute master. Guerguerian has performed at Music festivals in Berlin, New York, Moscow, Rome, San Francisco, Edinborough, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Greece, Istanbul, and has recorded on over 70 albums and film soundtracks including the John Cage documentary film “I have nothing to say and I am Saying It.” His compositions have been commissioned and performed by chamber ensembles, universities, modern dance companies, and new music festivals throughout the country. He enjoys sharing the deep, creative, rhythmic space from which sound originates.

Juan Benavides was born and raised in Bogota Columbia. He’s an extremely gifted and passionate guitarist with a wide range of musical talents. Juan’s expansive musical career began in 1986 and is highlighted by three successful group ventures that have resulted in international CD releases: Sex Love and Money, Era, Sony Records 1994. Fuego del Alma, Dicho y Hecho, Pueblo Records 1996. And De Madera, Aire y candela, Alula Records 2000.

Performing all across the United States Juan has featured performances at Walnut Creek in Raleigh,
Durham’s Eno Festival, the Latin festival IN Columbia SC, the Lake Eden Arts Festival at Black Mountain (3 times) with Fuego del Alma, De Madera, Cabo Verde.

He has also performed as a supporting act for Linda Rondstadt, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
His group, De Madera was featured on NPR show Charlotte Talk. He has played at Duke University, Warren Wilson, Columbia University, and Eastern Carolina University. As well as the Carborro Civic Center in Chapel Hill and the Triangle’s Latin Festival.

Shane Heather was born in Memphis, TN. He trained with poll winning bassist and educator Jeff Berlin in Clearwater FL at the Player’s School of Music. He also studied at the Shelby State Community College in Memphis with Errol Thomas who was a base player for Stax records in the 70’s and who worked with Albert King. Heather co-founded Clark Nova, an experimental jazz/funk trio in 1997. Since relocating to the Asheville area he began teaching base at the Asheville Music School and playing with Cabo Verde. He dexcribes his style as Southern R&B, Jazz, and Afro-Latin.

Whitney Moore was raised in a family of professional musicians. She began her professional performance career at age nine as a voice actor. In her 17 year career she has voiced for such clients as McDonald’s, Barbie, and Verizon Wireless, as well as playing three character’s in the most recent installment of Tiger Woods’s PGA Tour Golf Game.

Her professional singing career really took off in Madrid, Spain where she sang with Celtic Group “Amadian”. They played pubs and venues around Madrid including the famous, “La Fontana De Oro”. In addition, she founded her first jazz group and played standards in nightclubs and lounges around Madrid.

Upon returning to the United States she put her new Spanish language skills to use fronting Asheville based salsa band Montuno. They played events and festivals throughout the southeast and packed the floors with dancers at weekly engagements at Tressa’s in Asheville and the Handlebar in Greenville, SC.

In 2003 Whitney moved to San Francisco. She soon began studying and performing with renowned Chilean composer and performer Rafael Manriquez. Manriquez was part of the “New Song Movement” in Chile in the early 70’s and has traveled all over the world spreading hope and sewing the seeds of social change with his music. In their group, “Amaranto” and as a duo, Whitney and Rafael played International Music Festivals and venues in and around the Bay Area including the famous “La Pena Cultural Center” in Berkeley. In addition, Whitney’s jazz groups played lounges, café’s, festivals, and venues, including headlining Vallejo’s 4th of July Festival in 2005.

She began her career as a composer when she return