Lya is a highly accomplished drummer and percussionist, whose distinctive and diverse musical background sets her apart. With Venezuelan and Portuguese heritage and a childhood spent in Latin America, she brings a unique multicultural flair to her music. Her extensive experience spans various musical genres, ranging from Latin and Rock to Afro-beat, jazz, NeoSoul, and more.


Lya is a highly accomplished drummer and percussionist whose distinctive and diverse musical background sets her apart. With Venezuelan and Portuguese heritage and a childhood spent in Latin America, she brings a unique multicultural flair to her music. Her extensive experience spans various musical genres, ranging from Latin and Rock to Afro-beat, jazz, NeoSoul, and more.

 

In 2018, Lya was featured in the renowned drum magazine "Rhythm" as one of the drummers making a significant impact on the music scene. Her illustrious career has seen her collaborate with notable artists such as Jools Holland, Sir Rod Stewart, Phil Manzanera, Dave Randall (Faithless), Sola Akinbola (Critical Mass & Jamiroquai), Clean Bandit (as part of their drum line), The Go Team, Poppy Ajudha, Desta French, Eliane Correa, Juanita Euka, Sofia Grant, Colectiva, She’s Got Brass and bandleader for Intervention.

 

Lya's global presence is exemplified by her extensive tours across the UK, USA, and Europe, where she has graced iconic venues like the Barbican Centre, Jazz Cafe, Cadogan Hall, South Bank Centre, SSE Arena Wembley, among others. She's also a seasoned performer on the festival circuit, having appeared at prestigious events including SXSW (Austin, USA), Lovebox, Boomtown, Glastonbury, Festival La Linea, Secret Garden, Wilderness, Shambala, Latitude, and Bestival. Her talent has also been showcased on television, with appearances at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2017 (as part of Clean Bandit's drum line), "Killing Eve" (BBC1 - S3 EP1), "Later... with Jools Holland" (BBC2), and the international Sure/Rexona TV Ad "Not Done Yet."

Lya's global presence is exemplified by her extensive tours across the USA, America, Europe and the UK, where she has graced iconic venues like the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, Jazz Cafe, La Fayette, Cadogan Hall, South Bank Centre, SSE Arena Wembley, among others. She's also a seasoned performer on the festival circuit, having appeared at prestigious events including SXSW (Austin, USA), Queretaro (Mexico), Miche (Colombia), Music Meeting (The Netherlands), Montreux Jazz (Switzerland), and most UK festivals such as Lovebox, Boomtown, Glastonbury, Festival La Linea, Secret Garden, Wilderness, Shambala, Latitude, and Bestival amongst others. Her talent has also been showcased on television, with appearances at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2017 (as part of Clean Bandit's drum line), "Killing Eve" (BBC1 - S3 EP1), "Later... with Jools Holland" (BBC2), and the international Sure/Rexona TV Ad campaign "Not Done Yet."

Hailing from Margarita Island in the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, Bárb's interest in music and the arts rapidly evolved during her formative years. However, it wasn't until after her arrival in the UK that Bárb felt the need to embrace the intoxicating blend of Latin American & Caribbean rhythms and melodies reflecting her cultural origins.


"When I arrived in the UK, I had the idea of getting into the local folk scene, but then realised I didn't want to do the same thing that everyone else in the scene was doing at that time. I began to miss my homeland and truly acknowledge the richness of my culture and language."


Barb’s intuitive response to these influences gradually led her into the enticing world of writing and performing songs in both English & Spanish, whilst absorbing the sounds of PJ Harvey, Patrick Wolf, Agnes Obel, Laura Marling, Juana Molina and Bat For Lashes.


Following in the footsteps of such engaging storytellers heightened Bárb's passion for abstract imagery, shape-shifting its way around sparse chord-structured sound design, tinged with shards of dissonance. Her vocals weaving from sensually intoxicating, to hauntingly primeval. 


"I've always considered myself primarily as an intuitive songwriter working with music at the same time. So it is much more about the rhythm or the accumulation of musical ideas emerging from improvisation." 


Having forged a dynamic alliance with composer/arranger Nico Claverie, Bárb's forthcoming debut single, Burning Desire, encapsulates the dark, alluring melancholia found lurking within the viscera of a Guillermo del Toro soundtrack.


Welcome to the Enchanting World of Bárb Combellas.

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