.:: Aquarela ::.

Since grade school I’ve always fancied having a set of oil paints, but since they were too pricy I had to settle for the cheaper set of watercolors that were always available at the Chin An store near our school. Watercolor is a tricky medium and very often frustrating if you can’t make a perfect rendering on the first few strokes. Unlike oil where you can layer as many impastos as you can, with watercolor making a mistake meant throwing away more than one Strathmore paper to the dump bin until you finally get it right. But it is always a rewarding experience because watercolor is not only a difficult medium, it is one of that offers a wide range of hues and it’s spontaneity and transparency gives it an effervescent glow that you can’t experience with other mediums. Such is the music of Aquarela (watercolor in Portuguese) Band one of the coolest Bossa Nova / Samba / Latin band to come out in the music scene.

Since the Brazilian Bossa Nova craze last year and thanks to sprightly, pretty Sitti, Bossa Nova groups have been spawning all over Metro Manila and the rest of the country. Aquarela Band lead by Spanish / French Miguel Juteau and wife Evelyn has carved its own niche by pushing the envelope of Bossa Nova by including in their repertoire some materials that are unfamiliar to the uninitiated listener. Tom Jobim’s Anos Dourados and Djavan’s Flor de Lis to name a few cuts in their new album fill in gaps that the more discriminating “purests” are clamoring for.

I finally got a chance to see an authentic Bossa Nova band last September 9 at the Jazz n Blues Restaurant. Vic Reyes my son Jae and I couldn’t contain our excitement having missed the CD launch at the SM that afternoon; we made sure we got the best seat in the house. True to my expectations it was one great night of Bossa celebration. Miguel’s chord voicing and strumming were undeniably as Brazilian as soccer and capoeira. Years ago I’ve heard some of the world’s greatest non-Brazilian guitarist that also toyed around with Bossa Nova like Charlie Byrd and Joe Pass but frankly there are nuances in the chord phrasings and strumming that sets a true-blue Brazilian guitarist from the “Gentiles”. I’m sorry to say this but Charlie and Joe could be kings of bebop jazz, but their Bossa Nova is forgettable. But Miguel’s blend of flamenco scales with rich Brazilian chords is a work of art and true to the spirit of Brazilian music.

That Sunday evening Evelyn and Miguel seduced the audience with their flawless Brazilian Portuguese rendition of some of the all time favorites like Aguas de Marco and Berimbau. The rest of the band members had their defining moments and almost stole the show with the hypnotic percussion solo of Mike Alba and guest artist Jun Boogie. Another Bisaya in the band Dix Lucero is not to be outdone and showed his class with his shiny sax and flute while bassist Bembot Buena completed the night of sweet syncopation and swaying samba.

Come back soon guys!