HEADLINES

KITTEN KABOODLE STARTED OFF AS A COVER BAND PLAYING UPBEAT DANCE MUSIC

Kitten Kaboodle started off as a cover band playing upbeat dance music at bars and pubs. Originally starting as a touring band called “The Holidays” with original founding band member Neil Atkinson who created incredible arrangements, songs and guitar solos with vocalist Warren Meier, and later Dean Wilkinson. Lora Bensmiller (a.k.a. Pinky) joined the band as a female vocalist and guitarist in 2000 and the name was changed to Kitten Kaboodle. Their eclectic mix of songs ranged from Jazz songs like “Girl From Ipanema" to reggae, radio pop and rock songs like “U Shook Me" which always got the crowd moshing and dancing and wanting more. Lora (Pinky) was previously more well known as the hostess of a popular karaoke night at The Arts Club Theatre's Backstage Lounge on Granville Island in Vancouver.

For several years, Lora would waitress during the day and jump on stage at night in the beautifully busy lounge on the water and under the bridge to fill the city with music and energy. Music energy that would reverberate over False Creek to serenade to the high rise condos on the island and City Center. As she originally started as a food and cocktail waitress for the theater company , she would encourage musicians, actors, comedians, and artists of all types to show off their talents with her during the night in front of an always packed house. It was a super fun filled night of people getting lost and found while wired for sound.
After leaving Vancouver in 2005 to start a family, Lora became a music teacher, and Children's Author/illustrator and is concentrating now more on writing and recording original songs. She teaches various instruments and self published her first children’s book in 2011 entitled “Squeakers Goes To Grandma's”. Her song “Hello World” is one of the songs to accompany her Musical E-book and she is currently working on several more books and songs she hopes to share in the future. Lora grew up in a musical family and thinks fondly of memories of her childhood and recent recordings with her Father, Uncle, and other musical mentors who inspired her through her life.

Her grandfather, Ted (Preston) Bensmiller was a travelling musician who was respected by Old time Western singing Cowboys like Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and The Sons of the Pioneers. He used to play fiddle for “The Bay City Buckaroos" who were the hired band to play for the opening ceremonies of the Golden Gate Bridge. In 2013 he was inducted posthumous to the Western Swing Hall of Fame in Seattle Washington where Lora, George, and Allen accepted the honor on his behalf. They sang 3 part harmonies to beautiful songs like “Love Song of The Waterfall" and “My Best To You" and played alongside a live recording of him to Rose of San Antone. The Society is trying to help recreate and preserve the poetry and beautiful melodies and chord progressions in such historical music, Lora and her family have been welcomed into the Western Swing Society and always encouraged to keep this music alive and known.

Another style she was raised with was classic jazz when music and recordings were new and fresh. Lora was also trained in dance as a girl and loves the sensuality of jazz and longed for freedom from classical studies and wanted to bebop with the best. Although she is a singer/songwriter herself, she can't help but be drawn towards the beauty and rhythm of such beautiful music and lyrics that could literally put you in a scene from a movie. To tell a story with words of real life, heart break and romance, and at a time when people needed hope and inspiration during Depression and war. She believes songs like this are an important part of history as are the people they were originally written for. While there are so many amazing and new artists who come to light and bringing us energy that only youth can bring, it is also important to remember and keep older styles of music alive to remember our roots and transitions….and yes….this even means Disco!
A classically trained pianist from the age of 5, Lora has been writing and recording music most of her life, and is now using music as a way to keep memoirs and passing music on to her friends and loved ones. She continues to support and encourage and build a bridge between the older and newer generation of musicians and artists as they make their way in this ever changing and fast paced world.

Her newest release “Life Changes" is a song of hope, support and caring with a simple message to keep ourselves true to the natural elements of the world, while living and trying to find balance, and strength in a small world of many people and mass technology. The song is meant to bring understanding and empathy to the weary hearted, and peaceful inspiration to anyone needing a change in pace in busy times. Take time to listen and be drawn to her music and influences to celebrate and appreciate the beauty of the world and it's musical inspirations.

Though she was featured in recently released Lifoti's October/November 2019 issue 10, you can check it from below link's for your country:

No comments