SolAranja Trio
SolAranja Bio
SolAranja is a Chicago based trio comprised of violin, Elisabeth Johnson, accordion, Robert Cruz, and bass, Joey Spilberg. Its members have been performing professionally together among each others various projects for almost 7 years in a variety of different musical styles and settings. A deep love of world music brought this group together collaborating a back round knowledge of
gypsy, Arabic and Latin grooves to be infused in the traditional Brazilian choro, samba, and tango. The band’s concept was inspired by the Modernist movement in 1920’s Brazil called Anthropofagia; a spirit of “cultural cannibalism.” This concept borrowed ideas from other cultural trends and music and reworks them into Brazilian terms.
JOEY SPILBERG -bass
Recieved his B.A. in French from University of Illinois at Chicago. Joey has been playing bass, guitar and singing since he was 12 years old. He studied Jazz Performance at New York University. After studying jazz at New York University, Joey went on to study and perform traditional North African and Middle Eastern music with Tunisian percussionist Najib Bahri for three years.
Since then he has performed with a diverse assortment of groups in Chicago, touring nationally and internationally. Joey is the bass player for Lamajamal, a Chicago based group that plays traditional Greek Arabic, Eastern European, and gypsy music. Lamajamal tours in the states and has performed abroad in Paris, Turkey, and Bulgaria.
Outside of playing in Lamajamal, Joey currently plays bass in Rocambu Jazz, a world music jazz ensemble led by Delmark recording artist Yves Francois, The Middle Eastern Music Ensemble of the University of Chicago, Hisar Ensemble, the Dolce Vita Wedding and Variety Band, and he leads his own punk-rock-reggae group called Dada Do and the Debs. He has performed at such venues as the Chicago Cultural Center, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago Symphony Center and Millenium Park.
Joey was the Volunteer Coordinator for the Center for International Performance and Exhibition, Hot House, and sat on the Planning Committee for the 2007 Evanston Ethnic Arts Festival. He is currently the Events Coordinator for Intercultural Music Productions and is studying the cello.
ROBERT CRUZ -accordion
Received his B. A. in Journalism from Columbia University. Self -taught accordionist/pianist Robert Cruz has performed and recorded with a variety of Chicago based theatre groups including Redmoon Theatre, Looking glass Theatre, and the Incurable Theatre.
Robert’s eclectic musical variety has made him a notable personality in the Chicago musical circuit. From Argentinian Tango, French Musette, Eastern European and Gypsy music to Jazz, American Pop and Disco is just to name the diversity and creativity of his musicianship.
He is the founder and musical director of the Dolce Veeta Variety Band and frequently appears as a guest artist with the Chicago Klezmer Ensemble, Mucca Pazza and Lamajamal. He has appeared at venues including the Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Summer Dance series in Grant Park, the Hideout and Schuba’s.
Robert has been teaching accordion classes and private lessons through his home and at the Old Town School of Folk Music for more than 15 years.