Luna Mantra Live Band from Gulf Breeze, FL

Luna Mantra fuses the modern and traditional melodies and rhythms of tango and flamenco, jazz and groove, gypsy and bossa nova, bluegrass, Indian, Caribbean and Middle Eastern music to form an innovative, exciting and extremely danceable live performance. Luna Mantra features the talents of brothers Michael Kinser on classical guitar and Joshua Kinser on the traditional drumset, Afro-Cuban percussion, Indian Tablas and the Mediterranean doumbek, and Will on the violin and flute. The captivating and refreshing Florida-based progressive world-beat trio has toured extensively throughout the United States and has traveled to Hawaii and the European countries of Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, France and Egypt. Luna Mantra's diversity in style has enabled them to perform at a wide variety of venues including outdoor music festivals, universities, art museums, and theaters. In March 2004, Luna Mantra collaborated with Ballet Pensacola for two performances. Michael Kinser was commissioned by the progressive ballet company to write two pieces that would be set to dance by famed Taiwanese choreographer Lee-Wei Chao. The two selections, Las Brisas and Luna Mantra, were performed live with the dance company as grand finales and were received with standing ovations. This year Ballet Pensacola has commissioned four more pieces from Luna Mantra with performances scheduled for March 3rd and 4th 2006. In April 2004, Luna Mantra received invitation to record their first full length album at the University of North Carolina in Asheville. In late October of 2005 the University of West Florida's public radio station, WUWF, invited Luna Mantra to record an EP at 'Studio A' for their second formal recording session. In December 2005 Luna Mantra will be recording their highly anticipated second full length independent studio recording to prepare for early spring tours to Hawaii and Colorado in 2006.