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Canadian Folk/Pop Duo Dala Returns to Pepperdine

The Juno-nominated Canadian music duo Dala returns to Pepperdine University Center for the Arts for a concert at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 7, at Smothers Theatre on the Malibu campus. 

Winners of the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year, Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine of Dala (whose name was formed by combining the last two letters of each artist's name) write and sing in harmony best described as angelic. The two best friends met in their high school music class, wrote their first song together in 2002, and have since released five albums and toured extensively across North America. Amanda's ethereal soprano voice blends seamlessly with Sheila's velvety alto, creating the lush harmonies that have become their trademark. The sheer joy with which they perform is infectious, turning first-time listeners into instant fans.

Dala has opened for such artists as Tom Cochrane, Stuart McLean of the CBC's Vinyl Cafe, Richie Havens, and Arlo Guthrie. It has also performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Edmonton Folk Festival, California's Strawberry Festival, and Mariposa. In 2009 it was the only Canadian act invited to play at the 50th Anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival.

Dala's album Everyone Is Someone was released in 2009 to critical acclaim. It earned the vocalists their fifth Canadian Folk Music Award nomination and was named Album of the Year by The Irish Post. The song "Horses," which speaks to the heartbreak and hope of a young man dealing with disability, was nominated by National Public Radio in the US as one of the Top 10 folk songs of 2009. Additionally, Dala won the 2010 Toronto Independent Music Award for Best Folk Artist.

In the summer of 2010, Dala's PBS special, Girls from the North Country, was broadcast across North America. This concert features Dala's own songs woven around classics by Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Gordon Lightfoot.

The live CD and DVD for Girls from the North Country earned Dala the 2010 Canadian Folk Music Award for Vocal Group of the Year. The live album was nominated for a 2011 Juno Award in the category of Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Group.

Dala's latest album, Best Day, was released earlier this year.

For more information, and to purchase tickets, visit the Center for the Arts Web site.