One year ago, Bara Waters & Robert Cassard, along with their Soulfolk performing partner Paul Manfrini, had the honor of christening the newly updated 1400 Bara & Grill.  The 1400 occupies the historic space of the of Alameda's legendary Croll's restaurant, built in 1883.   Soulfolk was the first band to perform after the restaurant's grand opening.

Mike Cooper, co-owner of the 1400, and Hiroko Donovan, the venue's booker, became instant fans.  "Their sound was perfect for our space and what we were hoping…Read more

You may have thought Soulfolk was over, never to be heard from again.  With Soulfolk's original second guitarist and vocalist Paul Manfrini living some 400 miles south in Laguna Beach, Bara and Robert made the decision early this year to forge ahead with a duo format for most performances.


They've been working hard to create a new format and a new sound, adding a variety of vocal harmonizers, guitar effects, and fresh DJ backbeats to drive the rhythm.  The new sound is rich and full, combining the best…Read more

We kick off Soulfolk's blog with a brief tale about being open to change. 

Bara and I had been living in Southern California since 1991 and Laguna Beach since 1994.... We and our kids were deeply ensconced in the community, and from the outside looking in, we were alive and well and living in paradise. But, for us, there were subtle undercurrents we found unsettling...high cost of living, rapid cookie-cutter development encroaching, artists moving out of town—plus a long series of Kafka-esque personal…Read more