Larry & Joe
What happens when a Venezuelan harpist starts playing music with an award-winning bluegrass artist? Absolute magic! Come hear one of the hottest new acts on the folk music circuit. (Yes, there is a circuit, with a several hundred venues.) "The headline for this duo is the odd couple pairing of two master musicians. On one hand, you have GRAMMY nominated artist Joe Troop, a brilliant musician and songwriter, staunch political activist, and one of the first openly queer voices in bluegrass. On the other hand, you have Venezuelan harpist Larry Bellorín, an asylum seeker and former construction worker whose rough hands fly impossibly delicately across the strings of his harp. But what's really astounding with this duo is the precision and boldness of their craft. Working with jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter, they took two very different worlds, bluegrass and Venezuelan llanera music, and built a new musical language to unite them. Their virtuosity is jaw dropping live; they were easily the best music I saw at the Folk Alliance International conference earlier this year. But more than that, they both take great, transcendent joy in making this music together, and that kind of joy is contagious." - Folk Alley
Note: Due to scheduling conflicts, Larry and Joe have been moved from Friday, Jan. 17 to Saturday, Jan. 18 at The Robin Theatre. Thanks for your understanding.
Larry & Joe were destined to make music together.
Larry Bellorín hails from Monagas, Venezuela and is a legend of Llanera music. Joe Troop is from North Carolina and is a GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass and oldtime musician. Larry was forced into exile and is an asylum seeker in North Carolina. Joe, after a decade in South America, got stranded back in his stomping grounds in the pandemic. Larry worked construction to make ends meet. Joe’s acclaimed “latingrass” band Che Apalache was forced into hiatus, and he shifted into action working with asylum seeking migrants. Then Larry met Joe.
Currently based in the Triangle of North Carolina, both men are versatile multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters on a mission to show that music has no borders. As a duo they perform a fusion of Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music on harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, maracas, guitar, upright bass, and whatever else they decide to throw in the van. The program they offer features a distinct blend of their musical inheritances and traditions as well as storytelling about the ways that music and social movements coalesce.
Larry & Joe estaban destinados a hacer música juntos.
Oriundo de Monagas, Venezuela, Larry es una leyenda de la música llanera. Proveniente de Carolina del Norte, Joe es un músico de bluegrass y oldtime que fue nominado para un GRAMMY. Larry tuvo que exiliarse a Carolina del Norte y es solicitante de asilo. Joe, después de una década en Sudamérica quedó varado en su tierra natal por la pandemia. Larry trabajó en construcción para llegar a fin de mes. Cuando el ascenso de su renombrada banda Che Apalache se detuvo, Joe pivotó para trabajar con migrantes solicitando asilo. Entonces Larry conoció a Joe.
Actualmente basados en el Triángulo de Carolina del Norte, ambos hombres son multi-instrumentistas versátiles con una misión de mostrar que la música no tiene fronteras. Como dueto tocan una fusión de folklore de Venezuela y de los montes Apalaches en arpa, banjo, cuatro, violín, maracas, guitarra, contrabajo y cualquier otra cosa que decidan subir a la camioneta. Como músicos su programa ofrece una mezcla única de sus diversas herencias y tradiciones, y cómo cuentacuentos demuestran cómo la música y los movimientos sociales interactúan.
Note: Due to scheduling conflicts, Larry and Joe have been moved from Friday, Jan. 17 to Saturday, Jan. 18 at The Robin Theatre. Thanks for your understanding.
Larry & Joe were destined to make music together.
Larry Bellorín hails from Monagas, Venezuela and is a legend of Llanera music. Joe Troop is from North Carolina and is a GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass and oldtime musician. Larry was forced into exile and is an asylum seeker in North Carolina. Joe, after a decade in South America, got stranded back in his stomping grounds in the pandemic. Larry worked construction to make ends meet. Joe’s acclaimed “latingrass” band Che Apalache was forced into hiatus, and he shifted into action working with asylum seeking migrants. Then Larry met Joe.
Currently based in the Triangle of North Carolina, both men are versatile multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters on a mission to show that music has no borders. As a duo they perform a fusion of Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music on harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, maracas, guitar, upright bass, and whatever else they decide to throw in the van. The program they offer features a distinct blend of their musical inheritances and traditions as well as storytelling about the ways that music and social movements coalesce.
Larry & Joe estaban destinados a hacer música juntos.
Oriundo de Monagas, Venezuela, Larry es una leyenda de la música llanera. Proveniente de Carolina del Norte, Joe es un músico de bluegrass y oldtime que fue nominado para un GRAMMY. Larry tuvo que exiliarse a Carolina del Norte y es solicitante de asilo. Joe, después de una década en Sudamérica quedó varado en su tierra natal por la pandemia. Larry trabajó en construcción para llegar a fin de mes. Cuando el ascenso de su renombrada banda Che Apalache se detuvo, Joe pivotó para trabajar con migrantes solicitando asilo. Entonces Larry conoció a Joe.
Actualmente basados en el Triángulo de Carolina del Norte, ambos hombres son multi-instrumentistas versátiles con una misión de mostrar que la música no tiene fronteras. Como dueto tocan una fusión de folklore de Venezuela y de los montes Apalaches en arpa, banjo, cuatro, violín, maracas, guitarra, contrabajo y cualquier otra cosa que decidan subir a la camioneta. Como músicos su programa ofrece una mezcla única de sus diversas herencias y tradiciones, y cómo cuentacuentos demuestran cómo la música y los movimientos sociales interactúan.