Amanda Walther and Sheila Carabine of Dala (the duo’s name was formed by combining the two last letters of each artist’s name) have come a long way in a short time. The two best friends, who met in their high school music class and wrote their first song together in 2002, have since performed at Toronto’s legendary Massey Hall a total of six times. Darlings of the Canadian music scene, Dala are now poised to bring their fresh brand of acoustic pop music to the world.

Drawing upon influences like The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, Dala write songs that are both catchy and insightful. Amanda’s ethereal soprano voice blends seamlessly with Sheila’s velvety alto, creating the lush harmonies that have become their trademark.

“Dala can sing! What beautiful flights of melody and harmony, reminiscent of the Everly Brothers, the Louvin Brothers, Emmylou Harris and associates; though Dala can trade a melody line and leave one wondering who is taking the lead and simply leave one behind when the harmonies kick in.”
- Peterborough Examiner

The sheer joy with which they perform is infectious, turning first-time listeners into instant fans. Dala have toured across Canada six times, opening for artists such as Jann Arden, Tom Cochrane, Matthew Good, Stuart McLean of the CBC’s Vinyl Café and most recently, Chantal Kreviazuk. No strangers to the festival scene, they have also performed at The Edmonton Folk Festival, The Winnipeg Folk Festival and Mariposa. In 2009, they were the only Canadian act invited play at the 50th Anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival.

Dala’s new album “Everyone Is Someone” was released in June of 2009 to critical acclaim. It earned them their fifth Canadian Folk Music Award nomination, and was touted by The Irish Post as the Album of the Year. The song “Horses”, which speaks to the heartbreak and hope of a young man dealing with disability, was nominated by National Public Radio in the US as one of the top ten folk songs of 2009.

In 2010, Dala filmed a PBS special entitled “Girls From The North Country”. This concert is now being broadcast across North America. With their own songs weaved around classics by Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot, Dala pay homage to the melody, lyricism and spirit of the great folk artists of our time. A live cd and dvd are now available.