Barbara Morillo & Shrine by Barbara Morillo & Shrine

Playing to packed houses, they caught the attention of noted musicians Richie Havens and Bob Dylan. They were also courted by Sid Bernstein and Billy Fields who managed the Young Rascals and brought the Beatles to New York.

In the mid 70's, Barbara joined the Bay Area Latin-jazz fusion group Nightflyte with Steve Gaboury, Lincoln Goines, Kim Plainfield, Libby McLaren and Roger Squitero. Nightflyte was managed by Bill Graham and played the prestigious Berkeley Jazz Festival. They performed over 1,000 gigs in four years.

Next came Ryo Kawasaki and the Golden Dragon, jazz fusion with a psychedelic twist. They toured Japan and, with Sony, made the first ever digitally-recorded live album in history.

By the late 80's, Golden Dragon morphed into The Satellites, a house and techno music experience performing in dance clubs in the New York area. Ilana's vocals on the single 'Wildest Dreams' led her to be chosen as the Queen Mermaid in New York's seventh Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

Needing a change from urban life, Barbara moved to a small college town in Iowa where she was part of a very popular world-beat reggae band called Bambu. Also in Bambu was the Jamaican dance hall rapper Jason Shocair and Derby, songwriter extraordinaire.

Meanwhile, at Christmas time throughout most of her career, Barbara has performed as one of The Carolling Carollers, an a capella group including Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche, Libby McLaren, Margaret Dorn and Bonnie Guidry Mann. Their CD won a New York Indie Award in 1997 as best album of the year.

KAREN LEE LARSON - VIOLIN & BACKING VOCALS

Originally from the Windy City with a stint in the cornfield desert of Central Illinois, Karen Lee transplanted her roots to NYC in late 2000. Trained by ear in the Suzuki method, she studied Western Classical music, branching out at the age of 13 to play and sing music in Cajun, Old-time, Celtic, Klezmer, Latin American, North & Sub-Saharan African, folk, rock, and improvisational traditions.

Karen Lee's first NYC gig was with fellow Circle Pines buddy & dynamic songwriter Ruth Gerson at the East Village Sidewalk Cafe. Other performance venues include the Bottom Line, Tonic, Makor, The Knitting Factory, Flea Theater, C-Note, Greenwich Village Bistro, various parks and subway platforms.

Career highlights include the Squeezetones Dance Band in Urbana, Illinois (original music influenced by Cajun, Brazilian & Zimbabwean traditions), opening for Ani DiFranco in Buffalo, a friend's kitchen jam with Billy Bragg & Michelle Shocked, and making music with Kristina Boerger & award-winning Amasong, a 60-voice a capella women's choir singing songs from around the globe. Look for Karen Lee in 'Amasong Choir: Singing Out,' a documentary by Emmy-winner Jay Rosenstein, airing nationally on PBS June 15, 2004.

ROBBIE RADACK - GUITAR

Rob Radack has been living and performing in New York City for the past two years. A midwest transplant, Radack worked for several years with Vantage Canada and Jack Gandydancer, mainstays on the Minneapolis alternative-country scene. Since arriving in New York, Radack has performed, playing guitar and banjo, with alternative- country band 'The Shadow Boys', backing several local singer-songwriters, and is currently playing with SHRINE.

JEREMY KING - Conga, Bongo, Djembe, Talking Drums, Berimbau & other Ethno-Percussion

A mostly self-taught percussionist, Jeremy has been exploring the world of ethnic percussion since his teens but recalls being inspired at an early age by a local drum corps which he watched faithfully every week during the summer. He played his first "world" music gig at 16 and was convinced this was his true calling. Since then he has had the privilege of performing with many great artists including percussionist Tony Vacca (Sting, Don Cherry and Nana Vasconcelos) Massamba Diop, (Master talking drum player from Baaba Maal's band), Annie Wenz, Steve Westfield and the Slow Band and many others.

Since moving to NYC in 1997 he has submerged himself into other realms of the ethno-music world performing with Master balafon player Abou Sylla, E.J. Rodriguez from Marc Ribot's Los Cubanos Postizos, Next Tribe, David Goldman and Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble, to name just a few. He has also collaborated with members of Cirque de Soleil, Anti-Gravity, Stomp, The Metropolitan Opera, the Big Apple Circus and many, many others. Some select world class venues have included The Knitting Factory, Wetlands Preserve, CBGB, The Cutting Room, The Bitter End, Le Bar Bat and Joe's Pub.

He's currently playing percussion with Barbara Morillo & SHRINE and Derby as well as with several other freelance gigs in the NYC area. He has studied at Fareta School of Drum and Dance, Drummer's Collective and The New School University.

FELIX CHEN - BASS & SITAR

Felix Chen began his musical journey at the age of three studying violin. Since then he has performed internationally playing electric bass, trombone, sitar and violin. After a five year study in Asia, he returned to New York City and is currently involved in several musical projects including Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble, Mission on Mars, Dha Fuzion, and SHRINE. While in New York, he has performed at Lincoln Center, P.S. 122, SOB's, Knitting Factory, etc. He has also written the score for 'Run', a short film presented at various film festivals around the country.

ANDREW POTENZA - DRUMS & PERCUSSION

Since moving to New York in 1998, Andrew Potenza has played a wide variety of original music at venues such as the Bottom Line, Joe's Pub, Mercury Lounge and Wetlands Preserve. One of the highlights of his 1999 schedule was performing with Armenian vocalist Sophia Gazarian, at historic Lincoln Center. Over the past few years, Andrew has spent his time freelancing and working with such diverse groups as world-rock band Next Tribe, singer/songwriter/pianist Dina Fanai, Celtic Folk artist Celeste Ray and hip-hop/dance/fusion collectives Dha Fuzion and Rhythmutation, among others.

DERBY - PERCUSSION & BACKING VOCALS

Lead singer and main writer of the self-titled group Derby, he was raised in Argentina and comes from a family of musicians. He has been involved in creating and performing music since his teens, inspired by the sounds of Latin, jazz, and funk he was exposed to at home. Derby is a seasoned, polished performer and has been gigging professionally since 1992. From 1996 to 2000, Derby performed as singer/percussionist with Bambu, a world dance band touring throughout the U.S. He has opened for bands such as Everlcear, 112, Liquid Soul, Koko Taylor, and Burning Spear. He also produced two of Bambu's albums.

Derby recently wrote and produced two tracks for Venture Forth production's 'Simply Being' movie soundtrack and recorded vocal tracks for Kilombo Mambo's (Un Poco Loco Records) with Grammy-winner Tony Perez on piano. Derby's inspiration comes from artists such as Prince, Stevie Wonder, Sade, Maxwell, India Arie, Outkast, Me'shell and Guru. Derby's unique sound takes you into a hypnotic groove. Find out more about Derby at www.derbymusic.net.

KATYA KUDROVA - DANCING & a capella VOCALS

Born in Russia, Katya & her family moved to New York City when she was very young. She has studied many forms of dance and movement, including traditional belly, African, Indian, Burmese, Middle Eastern, jazz, ballet, and Martha Graham modern dance, as well as martial arts and sword form training. Katya is a trained visual artist, and currently studies acting, voice, dance and theater studies at The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. Katya has been dancing & singing in Barbara's various band since the age of ten, including Golden Dragon, The Satellites, Bambu, and The Carolling Carollers. In addition to dancing, Katya sings when SHRINE performs their acapella songs.

*This self titled debut CD release, was produced by Steve Gaboury who was recently nominated for a Grammy Award for his work with Cyndi Lauper on "Unchained Melody" from her latest release entitled At Last.

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