Pokey LaFarge
When: September 15, 2024 8:00 PM
Where: Key West Theater, 512 Eaton St, Key West, FL 33040
After five years of searching for a home, Illinois-born singer/songwriter/actor Pokey LaFarge found himself in Mid-Coast Maine. He embraced a major life change by working 12-hour days on a local farm, which inspired a burst of creativity and a redefined sense of purpose. His new album, Rhumba Country, reflects a heightened devotion to making joyful music. LaFarge realized that his gift is creating and expressing joy, which he believes is meant to be shared.
The album emerged from the inspiration LaFarge found while farming, but it felt incomplete until he collaborated with fellow musician Elliot Bergman in Los Angeles. This collaboration led to the creation of a kaleidoscopic sound influenced by various global music styles, including mambo, tropicália, rocksteady, and mid-century American rock-and-roll. Co-produced with Chris Seefried and Bergman, Rhumba Country is an invitation to celebrate life and love through colorful, upbeat songs.
The album features tracks like "One You, One Me," a breezy love song that showcases LaFarge's distinct voice and charisma. Other tracks include "Run Run Run," a tropical-gospel song inspired by Paul the Apostle, and "Sister André," influenced by the life of a French nun who lived to be 118. "So Long Chicago" and "Like a Sailor" are playful and eccentric, while "Home, Home, Home" reimagines a Ken Boothe reggae classic.
LaFarge's music on Rhumba Country defies genre boundaries, drawing inspiration from global music to simplify his approach and create space for freedom and expression. His intense and focused songwriting process aims to stimulate thought and shift perspectives, always rooted in honesty and love. Through this album, LaFarge seeks to provide "medicine for the soul" and live the life he sings about, ultimately finding a place he can call home.
Learn more: www.pokeylafarge.net
