Such is the case of Miguel Juteau, a French man, and Evelyn, a Filipina from Cebu.
A saying goes however that music is the language of the soul, and it must have been through music that made Miguel and Evelyn spoke to one another. And the climax of their romantic conversations, which took a number of years, is the launching recently at the Merk’s Bar & Bistro, their first Bossa Nova album, "Bossa Nova Affair."
The album features nine Bossa Nova songs and distributed by Universal Records.
The songs, which are also danceable of course, are: "Melena Loca," "Felicidade," "Anos Dourados," "Flor de Lis," "Triste," "Waters of March," "O Lumapit Ka," "Corcovado," and "Aquarela do Brazil."
Of his music with Evelyn, Miguel said: "Our debut Bossa Nova album is a modest tribute to the artists we admire and to the music we love.
"When I met Evelyn, she was into jazz, and I was into Latin music. We first found in bossa nova the perfect vehicle for blending our voices and musical worlds.
"As soon as we delved further into the magnificent music of Brazil, we became intoxicated and discovered there is no turning back!"
Of the Philippines, Miguel said that Filipinos are music lovers and are open-minded for music other than Filipino and English. "And I believe they will love our songs — as they are akin to Filipino music — aside from the fact that the songs are danceable."
Why Aquarela is the name of their band? Perhaps because love is expressed in so many colors. For Aquarela, in Portuguese means "watercolor."
The band original members were Dix Lucero, George Almaden, and Robert Buena. The line-up is regularly updated with interesting new contributions. Several great Filipino musicians have graced the band over time, notably Dix Lucero on saxophone, Michael Alba on drums, and Colby dela Calazada on bass, to name a few.
It was in 1999 that Aquarella was organized, with a mission to serve as the most genuine representative of Brazilian music in the Philippines.
Miguel started his career in music in his native France. In his early 20’s, he recorded a couple of successful compositions — "J’ai peche mon pere," 1987 Polygram Music. He went to Granada, Spain to study flamenco guitar, and then fell in love with Brazilian music, a passion he has nurtured ever since. After living in Barcelona and Hong Kong, he finally chose to settle down in the Philippines where he developed a successful career in the offshore software development industry.
Evelyn is a seasoned entertainer from Cebu, and she had worked with many leading jazz bands in Asia and eventually performed with Miguel and Barcela and Paris.
With music binding their hearts together, Evelyn has been sharing the front stage with Miguel!
Miguel and Evelyn, two accomplished entertainers, have been identified with their distinct brand of music: Soulful bossa nova since their act hit the Manila music scene back in 1997, when they started performing at the Makati Shangri-La Conway’s bar.
"Bossa Nova Affair" is an expression of the Juteau couple’s passion and love for Brazilian music icons such as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Djavan and Gilberto Gil, among others.
The acoustic, intimate feel of the album conveys a soulful and romantic mood to listeners, taking you to an instant holiday sipping margaritas on a tropical beach overlooking the sunset or swaying to the sexy grooves of samba!
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Manila Bulletin Online [Friday, April 27, 2007]
