|
|
  ALLYNA
HARRIS
Allyna Harris is from Montreal, studied piano since age eight and has a degree in music performance from Concordia
University. She has also studied improvisation with David Darling, world music at Village Harmony Camp and continues
master classes in piano with Lauretta Altman. As well as teaching piano, composing for Harris & Mendieta and
performing, Allyna has created soundtracks for CBC Sesame Street, art, dance, video, puppet shows and spoken word
projects and welcomes new collaborations. One of Allyna's passions is world music and she is the founding director
of Choromondo, a thirty voice world music women's choir based in North Hatley, Quebec.
Allyna also leads leads WorldSongCircles, workshops and residencies
in world vocal traditions available to other communites and choirs. She has performed and recorded new acoustic
music with Peter Mendieta since 1983.
|
|
 PETER MENDIETA
Peter Mendieta was born in India and grew up in Winnipeg and Vancouver. His fascination with both 6 string and
12 string acoustic guitars has led him to explore alternate tunings and many different styles of guitar playing.
He has written music for CBC Sesame Street and the National Film Board. He's played in jazz ensembles, dance bands,
rock groups and broadway musicals and as a solo artist. As a studio musician he has contributed his guitar, percussion
and producing skills to numerous recording projects. He also loves teaching guitar and has taught hundreds of students
the joys of musicmaking. Peter also runs the Crystal Creek Studio, a professional
home studio near Stanstead, Quebec where he has been the sound engineer for storytellers, singer-songwriters, chamber
ensembles, soundscape artists, Dixieland bands, Tibetan Monks and all Harris & Mendieta recordings.
|
Their first album, Cycles came out on vinyl
in 1985. This was followed by several other recordings, notably Pools of Light and Sea of Green which received
rave reviews from critics and fans alike. Their new album, Live at the Haskell is a collection of old and new music
performed on June 15, 2002 at the historic Haskell Opera House on the Canada/U.S. border.