Carla grew up in a house filled with music. She always enjoyed singing, but it wasn’t until her mid-twenties that she first picked up a Cajun accordion and fell in love with the instrument.Carla grew up in a house filled with music. She always enjoyed singing, but it wasn’t until her mid-twenties that she first picked up a Cajun accordion and fell in love with the instrument.

Chris Hall (R. Cajun and the Zydeco Brothers) took Carla under his wing and taught her to play. She joined her first band not long after. This was HottBoxx, who entertained audiences up and down the country with their blend of zydeco and rock and roll. They also introduced Carla to blues music, which now forms one of the foundations of her repertoire.

A number of musical adventures followed HottBoxx and led Carla down many avenues.

She now frequently works with slide and Spanish guitarist Paul Evans and leads acoustic trio The Broadcasters.

In addition to these local musicians, Carla also collaborates with Kent-based bluesman Dave Ferra. The pair meet up two or three times a year for a handful of gigs!

In more recent years, Carla has developed a keen interest in Cuban music, and her sets with Paul now feature a broad range of Spanish language songs, often complete with conga accompaniment! In addition to this, she has formed La Esperanza, a trio celebrating Cuban ‘son’, a genre made famous in the 1990s by the Buena Vista Social Club. She has also joined Orquesta Estelar, a community Cuban Big Band based in London and led by Sara McGuinness.

All this keeps Carla busy. She is never happier than when she finds herself behind a microphone!