Dalla
Dalla was formed by Neil Davey and Hilary Coleman towards the end of 1999.

The Davey and Coleman families have been integral parts of the Cornish Celtic music scene since the earliest days of the current revival.

In the 1970's, Neil's eldest brother Merv collected much of the music now being played by Cornish traditional musicians, and the dances being danced, and he continues to be one of the main authorities in this field.  Together with their other two brothers Andy and Kyt, Merv and Neil formed the seminal Cornish music group Bucca.  Bucca was the first band to release a professional recording of Cornwall's traditional celtic music when, in 1980, they signed to Plant Life Records.  The album 'An Tol an Pedn an Telynor' ('The Hole in the Harper's Head') was distributed in 13 countries worldwide.

Between them the Davey's have been responsible for many milestones in the revival of Cornish Celtic music and dance.  Merv and Allison Davey co-founded the first display dance team Cam Kernewek, which later spawned the current groups Asterveryn and Tan ha Dowr, and organised Lowender Peran - Cornwall's annual celtic music and dance festival.  Andy Davey co-founded the Ros Keltek dancers, now in existence for over twenty years.  Meanwhile Neil Davey, in recent years has been bringing Cornish music to the worldwide audience of the Celtic band Anam, appearing at countless major festivals across the globe, from Melbourne to San Francisco, Taipei to New York, and Tokyo to Glastonbury.  Anam's CD 'Riptide' was probably the first CD featuring Cornish Celtic music to enter the top ten in the UK traditional music charts.

The Coleman family in turn have been integral to much of the Cornish music scene not already covered by the Daveys!  Hilary Coleman, and her brother Will, started off from a theatrical background, as members of Kneehigh and founder members of Bedlam theatre company.  They played a key role in setting up community events across Cornwall based on local legends and traditions, such as St.Agnes' Bolster Day, and the Calstock May Revel.  Inspired by Bucca, they became involved in traditional Cornish music, and formed Gwaryoryon, itself in turn quoted as a source of great inspiration for many musicians in Cornwall.  Even their own parents, Patrick and Marion Coleman, were inspired to get involved, and formed the much loved Tamar Troylers.  Marion Coleman also later started the annual gathering of musicians in Bodmin now known as 'Racca Day'.  Will Coleman introduced the Spanish Gaita bagpipes to Cornish music, and these are now becoming increasingly popular and accepted in the music of Cornwall, being used for instance at such prominent events as the annual Gorseth (Cornish Eisteddfod) procession.

In recent years, Hilary Coleman has continued to play a key role in Cornish music affairs, as a performer, a composer, a promoter of Cornish language through music, and as an organiser of many events raising the profile of local traditional music in Cornwall.  She was a founder member of The Jack and Jenny Band, and of Sowena, and a member of the Cornwall Songwriters.  She is at the forefront of the revival of interest in the clarinet as a traditional instrument in Cornwall, where it was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries.  She was also on the Racca Cornish tune-book committee, and co-founded Cumpas (Cornish Music Projects) along with Frances Bennett.  Cumpas have gained an impressive track record for organising events such as the Racca Day festivities in Bodmin, and the Teer ha Moar concerts at the Minack Theatre, as well as doing children's workshops in Cornish music at schools throughout Cornwall. 

Neil Davey and Hilary Coleman met at Perranporth's Lowender Peran festival, and with their combined credentials in Cornish traditional music it was clear that any band they formed would be a force to be reckoned with.  This formidable force was further augmented by the addition of ground breaking, innovative, and at times competely off the wall guitarist Simon Lockley-Brown.  Coming from a surf culture background, but certainly no stranger to Cornish music, Simon had been a founder-member of Ryb an Gwella, and Sowena, and was involved with Otta Nye Moaz, the first youth dance group, founded by Karen Lockley-Brown.  Sowena was the first band in which Simon worked with both Hilary Coleman and Neil Davey, the other members being Frances Bennett, Jen Dyer, and Alan Pengelly.  Along with Karen Lockley-Brown, Sowena were the pioneers of the 'Noze Looan', an alternative to a Troyl (Cornish ceilidh or barn dance) which is more akin to the Breton 'Fest Noz' but still using Cornish dances.  Because of their accessibilty, both to dancers and musicians, these nights are catching on in popularity extremely quickly, and although Sowena is no longer in existence, the scene continues to gather momentum in the hands of Dalla and a growing number of new Noze Looan bands.