Based in the Philadelphia suburbs, folk artist Akire Bubar is an acoustic-oriented singer/songwriter whose influences range from Joan Baez and Judy Collins to Tracy Chapman and Dar Williams. Bubar, who is blessed with a big, full-bodied voice and an impressive range, is fairly unpredictable -- many of her songs have a tranquil, pastoral quality, although she can be bluesy or R&B-ish when she wants to. Born in the Cleveland, OH, area on January 18, 1973, but raised in the New York suburbs, Bubar became interested in singing folk when she was in her early teens. One person who gave Bubar a lot of encouragement was her stepfather, Jim West, a fiddle player who introduced her to a lot of East Coast folk artists. Bubar moved to Philly in 1996, partly because she felt the area had a strong folk/acoustic music scene. It was in 1998 that Bubar (who often accompanies herself on acoustic guitar) became a full-time musician, performing both original and traditional songs on the Northeastern folk circuit. That year, she recorded a five-song demo cassette, which contained mostly live performances. And in 2001, Bubar released her official debut studio album, Arms of the Sun, on her own Red Clover Records. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
