Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
“ Luna Mantra embrace their
passion for performing, and
weave an expressive musical
tapestry of sound, composed of
tight musicianship, soulful
compositions,and dynamic
live performances”
Christopher Davis- Belmont Press - Belmont Press
"Luna Mantra continues to build a huge following among the local rock enthusiasts and the more upscale arts world"
Sam Baltrusis- 2/24/05 - Independent New
The progressive world fusion trio, Luna Mantra, and former Milwaukee Ballet dancer and lauded choreographer, Lee Wei Chao, have collaborated on a piece that is the missing link between two segregated realms: The down-and-dirty local music scene and the usually high-brow modern dance arena.
Luna Mantra sent Chao a CD of their music—tunes inspired by a surrealist painting Kinser spotted at the museum—and the acclaimed choreographer crafted his dance to the flamenco-flavored tunes.
"I was really interested in the Spanish feel to the music," says Chao, phoning from Milwaukee. "There was this underlying passion brewing that represented to me the feelings of love. I have a solo that starts as pure love and a pas de deux that sort of climaxes into passion. There are a lot of layers of pattern and movement. There's really no story to the dance, except the universal story of love."
Luna Mantra features brothers Michael Kinser (guitar) and Joshua Kinser (drums/percussion) and Will Fink (violin/flute). Ballet Pensacola's dancers will perform Lee Wei Chao's choreography
Kinser, a regular with the IN "Best of the Coast" was a hit with his fusion trio at the Pensacola Museum of Art's recent Gallery Night celebration. Luna Mantra continues to build a huge following among the local rock enthusiasts and the more upscale arts world. Chao is a former Milwaukee Ballet dancer and performed with the Joffrey Ballet in NYC. His critically acclaimed choreography has been added to the repertoires of major professional dance companies scattered throughout the country.
"When I choreographed the dance, I tried to take into consideration that the music will be performed live," explains Chao. "It's always best for the music to be performed live with dance. But, this is somewhat unique because it's not the traditional Classical music."
Kinser says the band is cognizant about the potential hazard of matching up Luna Mantra's syncopated rhythms to Chao's choreography. "There's not much room to stray from tempos," he says. "We have to be tight. Exact. But allow room for improvisation and individual expression."
Sam Baltrusis
2/24/05
www.inweekly.net - Independent News
"Talented, smart, and ecofriendly Luna Mantra will expand your musical horizons" Pensacola News Journal- Troy Moon - Pensacola News Journal
Northwest Florida's hottest band Luna Mantra perform's March 18th, 2005 @ Imago's. - Downtown Crowd
Discography
Luna Mantra- Chasing the Wind- 2004 Independent Release
Airplay on WWOZ New Orleans, WWUF Pensacola and others
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Luna Mantra fuses the modern and traditional melodies and rhythms of tango and flamenco, jazz and groove, gypsy and bossa nova, bluegrass, Indian, Caribbean and Middle Eastern music to form an innovative, exciting and extremely danceable live performance. Luna Mantra features the talents of
brothers Michael Kinser on classical guitar and Joshua Kinser on the traditional drumset, Afro-Cuban percussion, Indian Tablas and the Mediterranean doumbek, and Will Fink on the violin and flute. The captivating and refreshing Florida-based progressive world-beat trio has toured extensively throughout the United States and has traveled to Hawaii and the European countries of Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, France and Egypt. Luna Mantra's diversity in style has enabled them to perform at a wide variety of venues including outdoor music festivals, universities, art museums, and theaters.
In March 2004, Luna Mantra collaborated with Ballet Pensacola for two performances. Michael Kinser was commissioned by the progressive ballet company to write two pieces that would be set to dance by famed Taiwanese choreographer Lee-Wei Chao. The two selections, Las Brisas and Luna Mantra, were performed live with the dance company as grand finales and were received with standing ovations. This year Ballet Pensacola has commissioned four more pieces from Luna Mantra with performances scheduled for March 3rd and 4th 2006.
Luna Mantra's recent television debut helped the American Red Cross to raise over $54,000 during their Hurricane Katrina Gulf Coast telethon. In April 2004, Luna Mantra received invitation to record their first full length album at the University of North Carolina in Asheville. In late October of 2005 the University of West Florida's public radio station, WUWF, invited Luna Mantra to record an EP at "Studio A" for their second formal recording session. In December 2005 Luna Mantra will be recording their highly anticipated second full length independent studio recording to prepare for early spring tours to Hawaii and Colorado in 2006.
Links
