Buko Pan Guerra - Vocals, Banjo, and Composer

 

The legendary Buko Pan Guerra is known as the "Bad Ass Bitch with a Banjo" (coined by Sean Carnage) and as Lady Simmons when she played bass for Lily and the Ladies.  Flamenco, Arabian belly dance music, Bollywood, Asian folk songs, old country mountain songs and their roots in rock and punk inspire this sound.

 

In 2003, Buko she replaced the original bass player of Project K, Io Perry. Io had left the band to join Tito and Tarantula, who also shared the Sweatshop until Tito (The Plugz, The Cruzados) moved to Texas. Overwhelmed with playing in two bands, Buko left Project K to continue full-time as bassist for the all-girl glam psych band Lily and The Ladies.

 

Lily and The Ladies ruled the Silverlake scene for the 3 years they were together. The Ladies played their last show at the Roxy with road manager Tim “Sugarpie” Ferris for his band’s Celebrity Skin’s 20-year reunion show.  After the Ladies ended, Buko started a solo career on her banjo playing dark psych-folk originals.

 

At age 11, Buko first started on bass then a guitar a year later. She has performed in bands since the age of 15, although none ever gained much attention. Buko also played banjo briefly in Throw Rag’s side project, Sun Trash back in 2008. 

In 2003, a burglar broke into her apartment and stole her guitar and bass. She was left to play her banjo. She taught herself the claw hammer style but longed to play a sitar or oud. Later after years of belly dancing training, she developed an obsession for flamenco. She was then trained in flamenco dance and taught herself flamenco guitar.

 

Still attached to her banjo (her best friend for many years), today she plays a guitar in a banjo-styled tuning in The Swords of Fatima.  She is fascinated by ancient stories and music from her heritage: Filipino, Turkish, Armenian, Spanish, Malaysian, and Indian. Her main influences for writing music are ancient folktales, caravans in the desert, sails sailing across the sea, Arabian nights, shamans, kundalini text, her grandmother (who is a faith healer), documentaries, Samurai films, and classical music. 

2014 ALBUM RELEASES

MARCH 2014
NEW ROME QUARTET
THE PROCESS
LBR-007
 
MAY 2014
BUKO PAN GUERRA
A GLIMPSE OF SENTIMENT
LBR-005
 
JUNE 2014
THE SWORDS OF FATIMA
BLAZING TOWARDS THE GOLDEN MIRAGE
LBR-008
 
JULY 2014
DEGLET SWORDS - FORTY DAYS, FORTY NIGHTS . . . ALONE IN THE DESERT
LBR-009