Playing songs from both The Paperboys and Locarno repertoire, as well as material of their own, Tom and Kalissa deliver a mix of Irish, Mexican and Folk music on guitar, fiddle, jarana, banjo and vocals.
Tom Landa
In his relatively short time on the planet, Tom has been a musician, an actor, a radio host, a festival organizer and artistic director, an emcee (not the hip-hop type), a composer, a Canada Council recipient, a JUNO award winner, a photographer, a major label recording artists, a reluctant booking agent, a manager, a music producer, a record label owner, a music journalist, a waiter, a father, and even a lawyer. He also cooks a mean chile relleno.
Tom was born in Mexico, although his mother is Canadian of Irish ancestry. He is a San Patricio through and through. Like him, his music is a mixture of genres and cultures. Tom has spent the last 19 years touring the world with his JUNO award-winng group, The Paperboys. That band has garnered critical acclaim on every one of the 9 records they have released. Known for their high energy shows that combine Celtic, Mexican Son, Folk, Pop and Bluegrass in a contemporary manner, the boys and girl are a festival and club favourite all over North America and Europe.
The Paperboys have been signed to Warner Music Canada, Stony Plain Records,True North Records, Red House Records, Stockfish Records and Jericho Beach Music.
In addition to The Paperboys, Tom is also known and respected as a singer songwriter. His work has been featured in several movies including ‘Marine Life’, Lunch With Charles, Lucky 7 and the documentary Pedal Driven.
In 2005 Tom was the recipient of a Canada Council Grant to study Son Jarocho in Xalapa, Mexico.
In 2011 Tom debuted his new band, Locarno. Their CD Una Mas Y Ya Nos Vamos has been met with rave reviews and was nominated for a WCMA (Western Canadian Music Award) in 2012. The music focuses on Latin Music idioms such as Son Jarocho and Son Cubano and once again features original compositions alongside traditional tunes. The band is a huge hit at jazz and folk festivals in the US and Canada. They have toured extensively, including a recent tour of Mexico.
Tom has also been a feature Emcee at several events including The Vancouver Folk Music Festival which he has hosted 4 times. He’s had several TV appearances with both Locarno and The Paperboys in Europe and North America. He’s also hosted his own radio special on CBC Radio in Canada.
Tom was the founder and Artistic Director of The Vancouver Celtic Festival andVictoria Celtic Festival for 7 years. He started and ran his own music booking agency, Stomp Productions and his own record label Stompy Discs. He has booked his own music series in Vancouver and been invited as panelist at The Folk Alliance Conference. He also wrote a music column for The Celtic Connection Newspaper for 2 years.
In his spare time he is a talented photographer who’s had showings in Vancouver and Seattle. Some of his photographs have been featured in both print media and online magazines.
When not doing all of these things, Tom is a loving father to a 5 year old boy and lives in Vancouver with his wife.
For more information about this event or to purchase your ticket please call us at 604-981-6335 or visit our website at www.kaymeekcentre.com
