By Sandy Hausman for RadioIQ (WVTF)
2.13.24

They came from very different worlds, but they shared a love of music and a passion for justice.

Written by Devon Léger for Folk Alley
12.6.2023

[…]they both take great, transcendent joy in making this music together, and that kind of joy is contagious.

Interviewed by Jane Clayson Johnson for Here & Now (NPR)
11.17.23

The North Carolina-based 'Latingrass' duo Larry & Joe, also known as Larry Bellorín and Joe Troop, are on tour and stopped by Here & Now to perform some of their signature songs for host Jane Clayson.

Interviewed by Taya Jae for Talkin’ Music (NPR)
9.07.23

[Larry & Joe] talk about re-inventing bluegrass and the power of music to transcend barriers, heal and, hopefully, leave their audience with a profound sense of joy and connection.

Written by Lee Zimmerman for Bluegrass Today
7.27.2023

[…]it’s the duo’s consistent strum and rousing vocals which drive these songs with such verve and virtuosity.

Interviewed by Madeleine Brand for Press Play (NPR)
7.24.23

“You wouldn't think they would mesh well, but this particular harp, and this particular banjo — the Venezuelan harp and the Appalachian bluegrass banjo — seem to have been meant for each other. And it was just a fortunate coincidence.”

Interviewed by John Schaefer for New Sounds (WNYC)
6.12.23

Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music come together on Larry’s custom-built Joropo folk harp and Joe’s fiddle and banjo, as they blend their musical inheritances and traditions as well as storytelling on their record, Nuevo South Train.

Interviewed by Trey Kay and Amy Eddings for Us & Them
(NPR)
6.7.23

Larry & Joe, is the realization of a dream for both musicians. It's also a reminder for Larry of what - and who - he had to leave behind. Us & Them host Trey Kay tells the story of Bellorín's musical beginnings, his "magical" kinship and duo with Troop and the song he can't yet bring himself to sing.

Interviewed by Meklit Hadero for Movement
(PRX - The World)
6.6.23

Larry Bellorín is a legend of Venezuelan Llanera music; Joe Troop is a bluegrass virtuoso from North Carolina. Meklit talks with this unlikely duo about the social forces and serendipity that brought them together.

Written by Angel Romero for World Music Central
6.4.23

Nuevo South Train is an alluring collaboration […] skillfully combin[ing] engaging Venezuelan music traditions such as llanera music (music of the plains), orquidea, tonada, joropo oriental, and bambuco as well as salsa with American bluegrass.

Written by Grant Golden for CLTure
5.16.23

…a fascinating exploration of the two sounds. […] Larry & Joe give a nod to their respective country’s storied histories while blazing forward with roots music innovation.

Written and interviewed by Ken Templeton for Red Line Roots
5.5.23

One way to get people in the room is to play as well as Larry and Joe. From the first notes of the concert, their skill and respect for traditions was on display[…] the sound never gets predictable or tired.

Written by John Job for The Austin Chronicle
4.14.23

The hour with Larry & Joe was sort of like being in the eye of a hurricane. Beauty and order in the heart of chaos. There was considerable buzz about these guys, but I don’t think anyone anticipated their true impact, and the huge gathering […] had an explosive response.

Written by Shawn Underwood for Twangville
4.5.23

When I saw Larry & Joe […] it seemed like they’d known each other their whole lives. That easy familiarity has also served the music well. Nuevo South Train is a magnificent blending of the duos multi-cultural experiences and I guarantee you’ve never heard anything like it. And if they play anywhere near you, get there.

Written by Jennifer Duncan-Rankin for BLANK
3.28.23

Though their bios feature a bounty of bummers, the music they make together (self-described as Latingrass), is nothing short of delightful. Ever been curious to hear what a banjo and harp sound like together? A hoedown with maracas? By golly, make sure to make time for this pair and find out, as they make some of the sincerest, comforting, fun and welcoming music you’ll ever have the pleasure to hear. 

Written by Patricia Serrano for Enlace Latino NC
3.24.23

Saben cuáles son las bases fundamentales que comparten y, a partir de eso, buscan crear algo nuevo.

En este caso no dudan en llamarlo «Venezalachian», es decir la combinación o más bien la música que nace del cruce de un maestro de la música llanera y un maestro del Bluegrass.

Para los dos, la música folclórica de sus tierras es la música que llevan dentro y quieren compartir con el mundo. 

Written by Hilary Saunders for No Depression
3.22.23

[Nuevo South Train], in all its collaborative glory, is a reminder that roots music is about maintaining and sharing traditions, regardless of where the diasporas take them.

Written by Adison Nadler for Music Mecca
2.12.23

Larry & Joe transcend the barriers of language with songs that celebrate love, life, nature, and all the little details that come with the human experience, regardless of your latitude and longitude.

Written by Brian Slattery for New Haven Independent
12.18.23

For the final segment of their set…Troop invited the audience to dance, which fully half the crowd rose from their seats to do, dodging among the stools and chairs and laughing the entire time.

In the swirling rhythms and moving feet, with some people picking more traditional two-steps and others just doing what they felt, this final short dance party felt like another step in Larry & Joe’s musical mission, as borders melted away and past met present, and everyone was moving into the future together.

Recorded by Virginia Folklife with WMRA's Chris Boros and Pat Jarrett from Folklife
12.1.2022

The Nuevo South is that, highly impacted by Latinos who are here. That’s the largest growing demographic. It’s important that it be recognized what we are. That’s what we are.

Because we are a society. We the people. Neither of us care about politics, neither of us care about perpetuating our own myths. We both want to go in with an open heart, an open mind, and learn. But I think it’s time to rejoice in the diversity of where we live.