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#ArtistAtHome with Tom Landa

#ArtistAtHome is a series of portraits and profiles of local artists by Christopher Edmonstone. Read all about it and see the archive HERE .

#ArtistAtHome is a series of portraits and profiles of local artists by Christopher Edmonstone. Read all about it and see the archive HERE.

This JUNO award-winning musician is, honestly, one of the nicest and most genuine humans I have had the pleasure to photograph and get to know. Please meet Tom Landa.

He has been around the Vancouver Music scene for more than twenty years with his band The Paperboys. Originally from Mexico, his family moved to Ontario when he was a young teen. It was here that he discovered Celtic music via another Vancouver band (Spirit of the West). Eventually, when the The Paperboys formed, their style took that influence and incorporated bluegrass, Mexican, Eastern European, African, zydeco and country sounds. It was with The Paperboys in 1997 that Tom earned a JUNO award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year for Molinos.

 Tom Landa at homeTom Landa at home

Tom's Mexican heritage and love of latin music led him to create another musical project called Locarno which has been described as Groove Heavy Mexican Folk, with heavy doses of Latin Son and Rock en Español. Locarno has new album out called Luz y Sombra, and will be kicking off a European tour shortly. As of late, Tom has been very busy playing tour dates with The Paperboys, and he has also started his own booking agency called Cubby-Hole Artists, specializing in Folk, Roots and World Music. He is also the co-organizer of this year's World Music Festival Vancouver, which runs from April 22-23.

I had a good visit with Tom and his family. His wife Kalissa is also very talented - she's a violinist who plays in The Paperboys and Locarno who also teaches violin. We chatted about longevity in the music business and Tom said he felt very lucky to be able to do what he loves for a living even though it can be challenging at times.

Many thanks to Tom and Kalissa for having me into their home and for the ride home with all my gear afterwards. Be sure to check out The Paperboys, Locarno, and Cubby-Hole Artists for updates and more information.