Alla Boara celebrates the deep history of human music-making by cultivating fresh sounds from the ancient roots of regional Italian folk songs. Amanda Powell’s impassioned vocals burst with the drama and humor of Italian life propelled by drummer and ensemble founder Anthony Taddeo. The storytelling behind this daring ensemble is intoxicating and has the dazzling soloing of a veteran jazz ensemble to Taddeo’s imaginative re-composition of these ancient songs, many of which have disappeared in a tide of modernity.

The band has received critical acclaim from NPR’s “Shuffle,” SWR2 in Germany, All About Jazz, Jazz Weekly, and Cleveland Magazine. From the specific dialects, stories and songs of Italy’s pre-industrial past spring Alla Boara’s dynamic and touching performances that inspire listeners of any heritage to treasure their ancestral roots and to revel in our shared humanity, which is as surprising, playful, mournful and tender as the songs themselves.

Violinist Emi Tanabe enjoys a multi-faceted career as a baroque violinist and a solo crossover artist. In addition to being a core member of Apollo’s Fire, she performs with the Haymarket Opera Company and Third Coast Baroque in Chicago. Her facility with world music styles and improvisation has led to many solo violin performances with Tango, Flamenco, Celtic, and Jazz ensembles across the country. She has appeared with such groups as the renowned Surabhi Ensemble, the GRAMMY®-nominated children’s music band Wendy&DB, and the theater/dinner production “Teatro ZinZanni.” Emi is a native of Japan, and holds degrees in violin performance from the University of North Texas and Roosevelt University.