Equal parts rock'n'roll troubador and Greenwich Village folk singer, Indio Saravanja is a prolific singer-songwriter and impressive multiinstrumentalist.

Though his music has deep roots, for years now Indio's life has been all about the freedom of the road. Born in Argentina and raised in the quiet cold of the Canadian north, by the age of 15 he was playing in Montreal subways for change. A stint in Spain was followed by a move to New York at the age of 20, where friend and mentor Jeff Buckley got Indio his first real sit-down gig. After almost a decade on the road, Indio returned home. In the Northwest Territories he found the peace to reflect and to write, and he sharpened his skills in run-down bars, often playing six nights a week. "I spent 15 years making a living playing other people's tunes in honky-tonks all across Canada. It killed me," he says. "That's why it feels so great to finally focus on my own words and music."

Indio is currently based in and around BC's Gulf Islands, but he continues to travel the world. His only destination is wherever the songs lead him. Though his music has drawn many comparisons - Townes Van Zandt, Lou Reed, Peter Case, Bob Dylan - Indio's greatest gifts as a writer and storyteller are his unique perspective on the world and his honest, candid performances.

Photograph shown on this page: Guiniveve Lalena