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Billed as one of our country's most gifted guitarists, Kevin Laliberte will release his latest CD Sundance next week during a performance at Lula Lounge, a venue known for showcasing Latin music in a corner of Little Brazil at Dundas Street West and Dufferin Street.

"I've played there a bunch of times over the years," Laliberte told The Villager in an interview. "I really like the vibe. They're known for presenting Latin music - I figured my style of music fit."

Early reviews of Sundance reveal it's a spicy stew of flavours borrowed from diverse new world music styles. Nouveau flamenco, bossa-nova and middle eastern sounds blend with the Spanish guitar creating a sense of whimsy, even playfulness.

"I'm excited to have done this third CD," Laliberte said, calling Sundance his most ambitious release to date. "I'm really happy with the overall results. I had an opportunity to spend quite a bit of time working on the song writing and arrangements."

Laliberte assured his fans that Sundance is not a "left-turn" from his previous releases and the music he is known for. He calls it a continuation, a broadening.

"It fits into the arc of my career," he said, adding that inspiration comes from a variety of music genres. Reflecting on a career that has spanned 20-plus years, Laliberte has dabbled in and has been inspired by all kinds of music. His career in a nutshell, he said, was "rock 'n roll in high school. From there, I got into Jazz, playing in small jazz groups. Then I got interested in world music, Flamenco," he said.

"Even pop music. I love pop, world music, I'm definitely a big jazz fan. Hopefully, (Sundance) is a unique combination."

Laliberte has always had a love of music. His family was a musical one with his mother playing accordion and teaching at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Impromptu jam sessions were a regular occurrence at family dinners. His formal training started at eight years of age when he took lessons on the banjo-ukulele. A year later, he began playing the tenor banjo when his grandfather, a self-taught musician who appeared on radio broadcasts in the Windsor, Ontario area in the 1930s and 1940s, gave him his vintage S.S. Stewart Wondertone tenor banjo. The banjo eventually led him to the guitar, and soon his grandmother bought him his first electric guitar. Although Laliberte has always had a passion for music, for a long time it remained a hobby. He got a degree in electrical engineering and worked for a decade as a computer programmer.

"I fed my music thing on the side," he said. "I always wanted to make a living as a musician, but I didn't believe it was possible. There's a lot of competition out there."

Sheer persistence paid off and for the past decade Laliberte has made a career of his music.

"It's a bit of a surprise," he said. "Sometimes I wake up thinking 'I'm the luckiest person in the world.'"

Laliberte first picked up a nylon-string guitar in 1995 and became inspired by the beauty and challenge of the instrument. He in turn discovered a passion for the music of Spain and explored ways of integrating this music into his own developing sound. In 1999, Laliberte was invited by EMI recording artist/guitarist Jesse Cook to join his band. They performed together for five years, touring internationally with Irish superstars the Chieftains, performed in concert and on the Tonight Show with Charlotte Church, and performed in Beijing with Chinese recording artist Dadawa.

Laliberte performs at Lula Lounge, Thursday, Sept. 4. Doors open at 7, the concert starts at 8:30 p.m. For further details and to listen to samples of music, visit www.kevinlaliberte.com