Hailing from San Francisco but now based in Belgium, Laura Cortese has been a unique force in the world of folk since she began her solo career in 2004.
Establishing herself as a distinguished fiddler and singer, Cortese has toured the globe, acting as an ambassador of American music on behalf of the US State Department by performing and teaching in countries including Kazakhstan, Estonia, Bangladesh and Montenegro.
With her group, The Dance Cards she displays a masterful ability to take the well-worn, traditional elements of folk music one step further. Their sound is lush with layered vocal harmonies and rich interplay between strings, but is unafraid to incorporate synths, loops, and dancefloor filler grooves.
Regardless of this progressive approach to the genre, they retain a core element of classic folk music – the ability to connect and move the human soul.
- Words by
- Tom Roper
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