Aquarela : Bossa Nova Affair: Aquarela, Union of Love- by Leah Salterio

AQUARELA...
Union of Love for Music
By Leah C. Salterio

[Published last January 1, 2009 @ The Manila Bulletin]

Singing is second nature to them.

Rather than play golf or go ballroom dancing, they would prefer to sing. Music was also what brought them together, so it is not surprising that they thrive on making beautiful music.

Since French singer-songwriter Miguel Juteau met his wife, Evelyn, herself a jazz singer, the two became binded by their music. In 1999, a year after they tied the knot in France, the couple formed Aquarela, which means "watercolor" in Portuguese. The group readily defined itself as the most genuine representative of Latin and Brazilian music in the local entertainment scene.

Miguel started his musical career in Northern France – first into pop then Flamenco, Latin and acoustic. After recording a couple of his own compositions in his early 20s, he moved to Granada, Spain to study Flamenco guitar. He later fell in love with Brazilian music, a passion he has nurtured ever since.

Evelyn, for her part, is a seasoned entertainer from Cebu. She worked with many leading jazz bands and eventually performed with Miguel in Barcelona and Paris.

Aquarela prides itself in churning out authentic samba and bossa nova music. Miguel composes and arranges songs for the band, while Evelyn acts as band manager and record producer, as well as frontliner.

They have their respective jobs that keep them busy, but when an opportunity comes for them to make beautiful music together, they continue their common passion.

Two years ago, Aquarela came out with their debut album, "Bossa Nova Affair," a collection of bossa nova and samba tunes distributed by Universal Records. The CD is an expression of Miguel and Evelyn’s love for Brazilian music, which conveys a soulful and romantic mood to listeners.

Miguel and Evelyn were successful enough in making more Filipinos appreciate samba and bossa nova music in their first album. "Bossa nova is a feeling and a mood, a mix of being romantic, nostalgic and happy," Miguel maintains. "The album was part of our mission to educate listeners with samba and bossa nova music. We are pleased that Filipinos are open-minded when it comes to any kind of music."

Admittedly, the couple was inspired by their first musical outing that’s why they worked on another album, which took more than six months to make. Recently, Miguel and Evelyn came out with "Changes," Aquarela’s second album.

"Our passion and love for singing prompted us to work on another album,"Evelyn asserts. "That is what we’ve always done since we’ve met."

Making music as a reflection of their life and romance, Miguel believes there cannot be a more apt title for their second album. "We’ve made a few, better changes in our life, that’s why we wanted that title," he grants. "It took us quite a while to complete the album because it was so difficult to gather the musicians together. We had several individual schedules to consider, including ours."

However, Aquarela’s music took an audacious turn in this second release. While Brazilian influences are still clearly recognizable on all tracks, this time, the song line up comprises mostly original compositions from Miguel and Evelyn.

"Changes is a bit jazzy," informs Miguel. "Our first album contains mostly bossa nova tracks and covers. The second one is composed of nine originals and three covers."

The couple displays anew their impressive musical artistry in "Changes," which contains three covers – the bossa nova upbeat ditty "Berimbau," The Doors’ ‘60s classic "Light My Fire," re-arranged as contemporary smooth jazz, and a refreshing acoustic take on the Visayan song "Usahay," recorded in the vernacular by Evelyn, who takes pride in her roots.

One of the original tracks is the soft fusion "Boracay," which the couple plans to launch in the island early next year. The Tagalog lyrics ("Ala-Ala Mo") were written by Mon David, himself a noted performer, while the English lyrics ("It Will Always Be You") were penned by Evelyn.

"We went to Boracay five years ago and we simply fell in love with the island,"Evelyn shares.

"Samedis Nirvana" in French, features a thumping groove and catchy sax lines. "Sin Amor" is a Spanish bolero, with Evelyn singing passionately of an undying love. "Unicornio" is a bossa / samba recorded in Spanish by Miguel.

"Cancion de la Fregona" is a Spanish piece laden with hypnotic percussion, flamenco guitar and Andalusian drama. "Melisa" is an acoustic piece featuring Miguel’s meditations on one’s fundamental need for love, as he sings to a simple guitar and sax accompaniment. "Saint Malo" is a French love song about a town in France of the same name.

"Melena Loca" is a Spanish samba that was the highlight of the first album. "Cita en Soledad" is a Spanish song which means "a date with solitude," expressing sadness with beautiful Latin-flavored arrangements. "Corazon Enganchado" is a bossa nova piece with chill-out grooves.

The album according to Miguel, uses real instruments – sax, bass, flute, acoustic guitar. Aside from singing, he also exhibits his masterful Brazilian-style guitar playing in the album. Dix Lucero does delightful sax and flute.

Miguel and Evelyn plan to sell the CD online, so they can reach out to more people who will appreciate their kind of music.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~