Immigrant musicians ‘Larry & Joe’ perform Venezuelan-inspired folk music at Knoxville’s Big Ears Festival, spreading joy during uncertain times

Written by Erick Gomez-Villeda for The Daily Beacon
4.1.25

Offering roughly 200 bands and artists, the Big Ears Music Festival has once again taken over downtown Knoxville. With more than 20 different venues being used, music was emanating from everywhere.

There were a variety of different musical acts, performances, films and artwork on display throughout downtown and Old City. From big-name headliners to indie artists, there was a style and sound for everyone.

One of those artists is a duo made up of North Carolina native Joe Troop and Venezuelan-born Larry Bellorín, known collectively as “Larry & Joe.” Blending bluegrass and folk music with the llanera music from Venezuela created a unique sound of their own. But where did it all start?

According to Bellorín (as translated by Troop), “We are children of the pandemic, you might say. We are the positive that came out of the negative, we’re the silver lining of the pandemic.”

Bellorín moved to the United States from Venezuela seeking asylum. He had worked construction jobs and got music gigs on the side until the pandemic pretty much put a stop to that. During that same time, Troop was living in Argentina, and the pandemic pushed his band into hiatus, forcing him to return to the U.S. after being in South America for 10 years.

While looking for new music collaborators, Troop was also working with asylum seekers in Mexico when a mutual friend told him about Bellorín, suggesting that Troop check out this asylum seeker musician working construction in North Carolina.

On Dec. 2, 2021, they played their first show together, and neither of them expected the reaction they received from the crowd that night — a standing ovation, and some audience members were moved to tears. According to Troop, “sparks flew” and the duo known as “Larry & Joe” was born.

Bellorín was an accomplished musician back in Venezuela who ran a music school while performing and touring across Venezuela. However, political unrest forced him from his country to seek asylum here in America. When asked about how the process was coming along, given the current political climate, Bellorín said that change can make decisions difficult.

“This has been such an abrupt change — you’re not sure if you should be afflicted or if you should get scared. You don’t really have time to know what to even do. But we just want to continue,” Bellorín said. “It's a difficult panorama, but we are pushing forward and fighting for what we want.”

Bellorín is referring to the potential revocation of asylum for some 600,000 Venezuelan asylum seekers, which the new Trump administration has been discussing over the past few months.

“We’re just fighting to live. We’re not asking for anyone to give us anything, we’re trying to work for what we want,” Bellorín said.

In such uncertain times, Bellorín and Troop told the Beacon that they feel like they have music inside them, which is “like medicine for their souls.”

“ It allows people to distance themselves from their problems and what burdens them. As we play with a lot of passion, we try to give them joy,” Bellorín said.

The duo also gives many school presentations in the Appalachian area. They like to think of themselves as mirrors in which the children can look and hopefully see themselves in the future, to see different people and cultures coming together in harmony.

“We’re lovers of folk music traditions, we love all kinds of folk music traditions and we’re practitioners of folk music, but together we try to let the traditions merge and do as they will,” Troop said.

After Big Ears, “Larry & Joe” will continue to tour and spread their message one gig at a time.

While their livelihoods are uncertain, Bellorín and Troop will continue to work hard at what they love.

“We’re happy to do this, but it isn’t just for us,” Bellorín said. “There’s a higher power involved — something greater. We want to spread our message of inclusion. We want to leave a legacy that would allow people not to draw lines between migrants and non-migrants.”

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