Joseph Aquilina (Vocals & Acoustic Guitar)
Samy Bishai (Acoustic & Electric Violins)
Paul Baker (Double Bass)
Lenin Alegria (Drums & Percussion)
Influences
Jane's Addiction, Nick Drake, Chris Cornell, Jeff Buckley, Bert Janch, Dave Matthews Band, Sussan Deyhim, Frank Zappa, Massive Attack, Tom Waits, Alice in Chains, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Acoustic music, Jazz, Rock, World etc etc
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AQUILINA were formed when Brixton bred singer/guitarist Joseph Aquilina was introduced to double bass playing Royal College graduate Paul Baker. They were joined by maverick violinist Samy Bishai, whilst drummer Lenin Alegria recently returned to the band after a stint abroad. They have gone on to perform around London and the UK for the last year picking up plaudits for their intense and unique sound.
Aquilina’s mix of styles mirrors their mix of backgrounds. Joseph was born in Malta but brought up in London with a heavy Southern Mediterranean influence. Samy was born in Alexandria, Egypt, amongst the heady mélange of sounds of the North African countries that border the Sahara. Paul is a true stiff upper-lipped Brit, with the rarified up bringing of a classical trained music prodigy. Recent addition Lenin is a true Latin American rebel. Hailing from Chile, he has an equally firey temperament. Four more diverse backgrounds would be hard to find. That they have come together in the cosmopolitan melting pot that is London Town is maybe not such a surprise.
Their music is very much song based and has been described as melodic, emotive and infectious. They have already been compared with the likes of Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Seal, Chris Cornell and the Dave Matthews Band. A diverse set of comparisons, with all these artists having their own highly individualistic sounds. But then, so does Aquilina.
Joseph has featured on a BBC documentary about singer songwriter Nick Drake, whilst Samy is very much in demand for sessions, having worked with Gwen Stefani and many World musicians including Sekou Keita and Yasmin Levy. In addition he also worked on the Terry Hall and Mushtaq album "The Hour of Two Lights" and it’s subsequent tour.
For more information check out www.aquilina.co.uk or contact Automatic Management on +44 (0) 20 7978 7888
Reviews & Quotes:
Nigel Kennedy (Virtuoso Violinist): "I really like your music Man!"
Ian Lee (TV radio/presenter and Comedian, he wasn't being Funny) "I think Aquilina are great!"
Gigatraks.com: "...this is one of the more unique sounding bands that I have heard in a while...They have tons o' talent and can obviously craft a killer song.
Kizzy H: Infuzed "They've achieved a well rounded and unique style of music, that's sure to grab the attention of others everywhere!"
read review here...
I love listening to you guys....can't wait till I am back in London this year to catch you live. Joseph you sound like an amazing qawwali singer on 'More to Ask'. I love it tooo much :) take care
Really enjoyed your gig at The Sun before Christmas. It was good to meet you. Anna and I have recorded some tracks - check em out if you get a second x
yo, i have been mind mapping actualy, i feel dead clever. myspace ladies....check the details, boys all the way! lol. me and Toya Willcox, thats worse than my moms Anthea Turner comparison :) ile try and get all my work done so i can come on sunday