 Ethno-Psychedelic Fusion ******** THE PROJECT: AVATARA is the reincarnation of Fraktal, an ethno-psychedelic fusion group formed in 2001 in Mexico City. The band's decision to change names comes at the end of 2009 as part of a process of transformation and renovation. We are now called AVATARA, which in Sanskrit means "to cross over, to incarnate, to transform". Many people speak of Avatars or Avataras as the incarnation of god in human form, however, Fraktal chose the name as someone who seeks to protect that which is sacred and support society in rising up and moving forward. The original group, Fraktal, was created as an experiment using a variety of instruments and sounds to move beyond musical boundaries, creating a unique journey of fusion music. Avatara continues in this same tradition. Since 2006, the group lives in the highland town of San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas, Mexico. Avatara’s members hail from three countries (Mexico, the U.S. and Canada) and use accordion, cello, guitar, mandolin, darbuka, djembe, voices and improvised instruments to transform sound into music and carry its listeners to distant landscapes. In 2010, the band recorded its first CD, "Transformacion", under the name Avatara. The CD is the most diverse of all the group's CD's, which include "En Vivo", recorded in 2009, and "No Es Pan Frances", recorded in 2007. The band's original compositions mix Arab, Hindu, pre-Hispanic, African, gypsy and classical influences. KIRI (AKA Alejandro Escalante) Voice/guitar - Mexico  He
has performed in the Festival de Teatro Alterno (1999), the Festival Cervantino de Guanajuato (2000 and 2002), the Festival del Día
Internacional del Museo en el Museo Diego Rivera (2005), the Festival de Equinoccio Yampamento in Montebello, Chiapas (2004), among others.
Additionally, Kiri created music for the film,“Ver, Oir y Callar”, and the
documentary, “Chulel”.
LAUREL BELLANTE de ESCALANTE Cello – U.S.A.
At 11 years of age, Laurel began to play the cello in her hometown of Bozeman, Montana (USA). When she was 15, she studied at St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire where she was the principal cellist in the school orchestra. In 2000, she continued to play in the symphonic orchestra of Pomona College under the direction of Eric Lindholm in Los Angeles, California.
After
a 4 year hiatus, Laurel reunited with her cello in 2006 in the most unexpected
place: San Cristobal de Las Casas, where she joined “Fraktal” and began to
explore musical improvisation and experimentation for the first time. Since
then, Laurel has performed in the Cervantino Festival in San Cristobal (2007,
2008), an independent theater production (2006-07), and in numerous venues
throughout Mexico. Laurel adds classical elements and lyrical melodies to Avatara´s music.
Jorge Hernández Ceja (AKA Gorka) Percussion – Mexico 
Using ethnic percussion (djembe and darbuka) with Arabian and African influences, Gorka creates the atmospheres and insistent rhythms that give dimension and movement to Avatara’s music. He began his career as an auto-didactic percussionist on the beaches of Mexico. He has studied with Mario Rodríguez (Mexico City) and Bemba Bangoura (África) and attended a clinic with Koungbana Konde. He has performed in the Festival Alicante Despierta (2003, Spain); the First New Age Festival in Mexico City with the group “Elysium” (2004); El Día Internacional del Museo in the Diego Rivera Museum with “Fraktal “ (2005, Mexico City); and the Festival de Artes en La Calle (Comitán, 2007).
KATA (AKA CATHERINE PREVOST) accordion/voice - CANADA
For 10 years, Kata studied classical piano in her hometown of Montreal in the Vincent d’ Indy Music School and the Conservatory with Raoul Sosa. There she learned the rules in order to later break them and find her own creative approach to making music.
In 1999, Kata purchased her first “traveling piano”, an accordion. In December of 2006 she traveled to Mexico and began to play as a soloist in the streets and cultural centers of Oaxaca. She has lived in San Cristobal, Chiapas since March of 2007.
Kata’s playing is delightful and spontaneous. Since 2007, Kata began exploring the world of Oriental melodies with the project “Gorkata” and since January of 2008 she is a member of “Avatara”. She composes music with gypsy soul and adds rich melodies to Avatara's sound..
Events and Festivals
REPRESENTATIVE: Laurel Bellante de Escalante Cellular: country code +52 (1) (967) 103 9736 Home: country code +52 967 631 7257 Email: avataramexico@gmail.com Webpage: www.myspace.com/avataramexico
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