Mando Mafia

Style: Global Stringband Music
Began performing: 1989
Stomping grounds : Mid-atlantic states of the US
Mando Mafia was formed in 1989 to explore the links between mandolin-family instruments and old-time music, bluegrass, and the music of other ethnic traditions. Individual band members have won instrumental competitions in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina, and collectively the band has won the Non-traditional Band Competition at the Appalachian String Band Festival in West Virginia. Their first bluegrass festival appearance was at the Merle Watson Festival, sharing the stage with some of the top names in bluegrass music. The band has released three recordings which have garnered international acclaim. [--Pete Marshall]
Band Members:: Kelly Perdue-mandolin; Lew Prichard-mandolin; Bill Giltinan-mandolin; Pete Marshall-octave mandolin; Rick Friend-guitar; Vaughan Mairs-bass They also add in other stringband instruments...fiddle, banjo, mandola, mandocello, mando-banjo, and other instruments.
Band Address/Booking/Label Address:: Black Rose Productions; 5505 Walnut Level Rd, Crozet, VA 22932, USA; Phone: 804-823-4078; Fax: fax 804-823-5027; E-mail: buster@cstone.net [Pete Marshall]; Web: http://www.radix.net/~jmangin/mandomafia/

Discography:: Mando Mafia Black Rose BRC1(out of print); Take Two Black Rose BRC2; Mando Liniment Black Rose BRCD3

Mando Mafia Milestones (in reverse chronological order)

Winner, bluegrass fiddle, 1997 WTJU folk marathon fiddle contest, Charlottesville, Virginia. Bill Giltinan
April 1997 Played first Bluegrass festival...MerleFest
Winner, 1997, mandolin competition, Maury River Fiddler's Convention, Buena Vista, Virginia. Lewis Prichard
Winner, 1996 fiddle competition, Madison, Virginia. Rick Friend
Featured 'Hot Platter'...Elderly Instruments 1994 Catalog, Lansing, Michigan
Winner, 1993 bass competition, Deer Creek, Maryland. Vaughan Mairs
Winner, non-traditional band competition, 1992 Appalachian String Band Music Festival, West Virginia Division of Culture & History (2nd-1991, 3rd-1994)
Winner, 1992 mandolin competition, Mt Airy, North Carolina. Kelly Perdue
Winner, 1992 fiddle competition, Montpelier, Virginia. Rick Friend
Galax Old Fiddlers' Convention, 1990: Disqualified for breaking most contest rules in a single performance, including too many people in a band; not having a fiddle, banjo, or guitar in the band; and playing way beyond the two and a half minute allotted time. Despite the enthusiastic response of the audience to their version of Stone's Rag, the Mando Mafia were told by the contest organizers not to bother returning to the stage for the second night of competition.