Holly Holden Y Su Banda

An up and coming singer and songwriter from London. Sultry vocals, an appreciation for great melodies, clever lyrics, and pop sensibilities along the lines of Amy Winehouse, Regina Spektor and Lauryn Hill, all heavily influenced by her time living in Cuba and the wider Caribbean. Diverse musical traditions from cumbia to dancehall reggae, son montuno to rhythm and blues all mix organically and effortlessly to create a sound that is at once fresh and classic. Singing in both Spanish and English while playing the bass, and backed by guitar, drums and percussion, Holly Holden Y Su Banda make sunny feel good music that makes people dance. They have been invited to represent the UK at international jazz festivals in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba and are currently working on a debut album.

Aside from her solo work, she has sang and toured with renowned South London dubstep producer Mala (Digital Mystikz) on tours throughout Europe to promote his album Mala in Cuba, and is currently a member of Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit, singing back up, as well as playing percussion and keys. She is also one half of Anglo-Cuban collaborative project X Planet with rapper Alain Garcia Artola of rap trio TNT la Rezistencia. Their album ‘Xistence’ was produced by legendary reggaeton producer Kiki Pro in Santiago de Cuba in 2012, and well received in Cuba and London.

“After fronting Cuban hip hop – soul – funk outfit X Planet with rapper Alain Garcia Artola, Holly Holden’s new solo project with her banda invigorates her original material with a gameful, tropical lilt. There’s a refreshing simplicity to the melodies at play, underpinned by hints of Caribbean and afro-Latin rhythms, as sunshine guitar licks snake around her soulful vocals, effortlessly straddling both English and Spanish.” – Cal Jader, Movimientos