Music teacher Nick Strauss brought 25 of his fabulous violin students from Newark's Franklin School for a visit to MoFiddles. The students entertained Mo with Suzuki favorites. Mo entertained the students with violin facts and introduced them to her beloved mandolins!

Mo received a personal blessing from the Tibetan Monks of Drepung Loseling. The Drepung Loseling Institute is a non-profit organization located in Atlanta, Georgia and is dedicated to the study and preservation of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of wisdom and compassion and also provides a sanctuary for nurturing inner peace, community understanding and global healing. For more information go to www.mysticalartsoftibet.org

Mo and the monks were dinner guests of Ira and Sylvia Seret of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Seret and Sons are renowned purveyors of Middle Eastern décor and architectural pieces and design the homes of many celebrities - as well as adding special flavor to Mo's new store. Visit their unique shop at www.seretandsons.com

On her latest trip to Santa Fe, Mo met the acclaimed Gypsy/Flamenco guitarist, Ruben Romero. Mo was captivated by his superb playing and the two instantly became friends.

Mr. Romero has an impressive catalog of 21 albums, encompassing jazz, flamenco, Latin and Gypsy styles. His music was heard in the 2000 Olympics and he was nominated for four Native American Music Awards, which he won in both Best World Music Album, and Best Latin Album categories for his recording Native Flamenco. Mr. Romero has performed with the Denver Symphony Orchestra. His music has been included in the recent Narada Flamenco Music Compilations. The four combined titles have sold over 500,000 copies worldwide.

Ruben Romero is devoted to many charities. He has given concerts to benefit the Children's Museum, the Palace of Governors, the Santuario, Site Santa Fe, and various other churches and civic functions. For these good works, Mr. Romero was honored by Santa Fe Mayor Larry A. Delgado when he declared May 2, 1999 to be "Ruben Romero Day in Santa Fe."

Ruben Romero's cds are available at MoFiddles or at his website, www.rubenromero.com

My Mo Red fiddle gives me the perfect balance between price, sturdiness, esthetic appeal, and sound. It's a great backup for my primary instrument - I've used it to play orchestra and chamber music rehearsals, and I couldn't have a better instrument to use at my bluegrass fiddle workshops. I use my Mo Red fiddle whenever I perform because it projects thru the sound of the band with a powerful balanced tone. I wish I'd had this instrument when I was playing fiddle on the Grand Ole Opry with Bill Monroe.

Idaho Ed is a bonafide New Jersey original, one of the few stateside practitioners of an original yodeling style, and a mentor and all-around best friend of MoFiddles. He honed his musical style in Idaho, where he worked for the Civilian Conservation Corps during the depths of the Great Depression. When he returned to New Jersey folks dubbed him "Idaho Ed" in deference to his western-tinged guitar and harmonica playing, his strong heartfelt singing style and his awesome yodeling technique.

Sixty years and thousands of shows later Ed is still going strong! He has performed in all the major country music venues in our area. Ed has performed for countless benefit shows, such as the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children and The Handicapped Children of NJ with his 5-piece band "The Cimmarrons".

MoFiddles salutes Ed's pioneering spirit, his generous gifts to charity and his determination to walk his own musical path.

Recent recordings include "Make Yourself a Winner", and Pickin' on the Back Porch".
For bookings and info call (973) 992-2063.

Dave Rimelis is one of the most versatile musicians we know! A gifted, original composer, he plays fiddle, guitar, piano and mandolin! Dave is the son of Idaho Ed and grew up surrounded by music. His love for the fiddle started when he found one his Daddy had stowed in the barn! David is an accomplished strolling violinist, bandleader, session player, clinician and teacher. Perhaps Dave's greatest gift has been in freeing players of all levels from the printed page and helping them to develop their own ideas thru the art of improvisation.

Click Here to visit Dave's site.