7/15/11 (almaband.com)

It's the time of year again for the River Ranch Music Festival! If you have not been, you have to check it out. Alma has been putting it on for 11 years now. For more information on this All Ages Event Click Here or Check it out on Facebook

3/28/11 (creedo.com)

Tax millionaires and billionaires! The super wealthy need to pay their fair share.

"Anyone who is making more than a million dollars a year can afford to pay more to prevent brutal budget cuts. Rather than shred the social safety net when we need it most, tax millionaires and billionaires. It's long past time for the super wealthy to pay their fair share."

Tell Congress: Tax millionaires and billionaires. We cannot allow the budget to be balanced on the backs of the very people who've taken it on the chin during this economic crisis.

While President Obama and some of the Democratic leadership have fallen into this trap of accepting the rightwing framing of the debate, progressive champions Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Sen. Bernie Sanders are leading the fight for a real solution to our budget crisis.

They have each introduced a bill to raise the income tax rates on people who make more than one million dollars a year. And they need our help to start changing the narrative around the budget.

The disparity between the rich and the poor is growing in a way that is deeply unhealthy to our society. The richest 1% of Americans are making 24% of the country's income, which is the highest share it has been since the 1930s. The 1930s were also the last time the richest 1% have so consistently paid such a low income tax rate.

This wide gulf between the haves and the have-nots not only affects our economy, it distorts our democracy. We have to take action before it's too late.

Tell Congress: It's time to raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION AND TELL CONGRESS!

Alma's Musical History:

Alma, which means Soul in Spanish, started in 1999 when Guitarist Singer Songwriter Nicholas Lefler and Bassist Damian Dianda met at Columbia Junior College in Northern California. Determined to find musicians for their Latin Rock Reggae Band, the musicians found Spanish Vocalist Kata Miletich and spent a year experimenting with different players while recording their debut CD "Melodious Souls" in 2000.

In 2001, Alma started getting west coast buzz as they targeted the California music festival circuit and were offered a record deal with Epiphony Records. At that time, the group had 13 band members and a large entourage of performers and crew, but felt they needed to simplify and refine their sound before signing to a label.

"Flamencadelic" was that sound. A completely unique style of Flamenco meets psychedelic Rock and Reggae. The band took this sound to the studio to record their Second CD "Enchantment." Originally recorded at Steve Miller's Studio in Williams, OR with the help of Bruce Winters (Toad the Wet Sprocket), the band returned to California to Re Record the CD themselves in early 2002.

Self Producing and Recording wasn't foreign to Nicholas Lefler. He had been recording his own music since age 16. And with the help of Guitarist Mark Mansfield and Damian Dianda's quick understanding of Pro Tools Engineering, the CD was finished for the early 2003 release. The CD quickly became well received and was featured in Two IMAX Films in Japan, Canada, U.S., ABC News Broadcasts and Radio Stations across the country.

So it wasn't long before Sunrising Artists Booking Agency picked up Alma and began booking tours across the country. From San Francisco to New York, Seattle to Mexico, Alma was performing hundreds of shows and building their fan base outside of California, playing venues such as the 2002 Winter Olympics, Reggae On The River, San Jose Jazz Fest, Harmony Festival, Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Sea of Dreams and many others. By then the band had performed with artists such as Damian Marley, The Wailers, Jefferson Starship, Spearhead and many others.

After years of promoting "Enchantment" and "performing virtually every major music fest in the West" (Vail Daily), the band decided to go back to the Studio and record their Third CD "Fly to the Sun." "Pro Tools Master" David Lopez was brought in by Drummer Bob Sanders to Engineer and Produce the new CD. After recording artists like Black Eyed Peas, Janet Jackson and winning a Grammy for his work with Beyonce, David brought a new dynamic to the recording and sound. After over a year of recording and mixing, the CD was finished in early 2006 with a Radio Ready mix of Latin World Rock and Reggae.

In 2008, the band returned to it's original sound of Latin Rock Reggae with Songwriter Nicholas Lefler back on lead vocals and reintroducing an original member, Bull Lewis on Saxophone plus Berklee College of Music Graduates Rick Moore on Sax and Kiel Williams on Keys.

Nicholas Lefler 3-10-2009