MISHKA ADAMS & BETO CALETTI - Puentes
Self-published
Mishka Adams: vocals; Beto Caletti: vocals, guitars, keyboards; Diego Alejandro: drums; Nuria Martinez: flute; Pedro Carneiro Silva: piano
For the most part, this is a collection of duets in which the voices of Adams and Caletti perfectly blend and complement each other. The album’s title translates into English as ‘bridges’ and there is a feeling that the music seeks to find bridges across South America and across the world. The tunes have a cosmopolitan feel, as befits the performers and their backgrounds. Adams, born in the Philippines, divides her time between London and Buenos Aries, where Caletti lives. The pair met in London and have been working through a wide range of musical styles from the South Americas. So, you have a mix of musical styles that range from styles which sound like a tango (both Argentine and the Uruguyan milonge) to less familiar (to my ears) styles such as Argentinian zamba and chacerera, and a mix of languages Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog (Filipino), English. Whatever language is being sung, Adams conveys the emotion of the words in a captivating style, and Caletti’s guitar playing and singing bring an authenticity to the performance.
As an example of the gentle magic that the pair create, track 7 is a version of ‘Beatriz’, the Brazilian classic that Edu Lobo composed with Chico Buarque. While this is a well-known song, they bring a delicacy to the delivery that is charming. This leads into a set of originals that Adams and Caletti use to create a sort of personal tour of South American music, highlighting their favourite sounds and rhythms. It is from this last collection of tunes that the set gains such a strong sense of two people with a shared love of the musics of South America seeking to encourage listeners to join them in their celebration. And this invitation is so heartfelt and the music so compelling that it is hard to imagine anyone wishing to resit.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
Self-published
Mishka Adams: vocals; Beto Caletti: vocals, guitars, keyboards; Diego Alejandro: drums; Nuria Martinez: flute; Pedro Carneiro Silva: piano
For the most part, this is a collection of duets in which the voices of Adams and Caletti perfectly blend and complement each other. The album’s title translates into English as ‘bridges’ and there is a feeling that the music seeks to find bridges across South America and across the world. The tunes have a cosmopolitan feel, as befits the performers and their backgrounds. Adams, born in the Philippines, divides her time between London and Buenos Aries, where Caletti lives. The pair met in London and have been working through a wide range of musical styles from the South Americas. So, you have a mix of musical styles that range from styles which sound like a tango (both Argentine and the Uruguyan milonge) to less familiar (to my ears) styles such as Argentinian zamba and chacerera, and a mix of languages Spanish, Portuguese, Tagalog (Filipino), English. Whatever language is being sung, Adams conveys the emotion of the words in a captivating style, and Caletti’s guitar playing and singing bring an authenticity to the performance.
As an example of the gentle magic that the pair create, track 7 is a version of ‘Beatriz’, the Brazilian classic that Edu Lobo composed with Chico Buarque. While this is a well-known song, they bring a delicacy to the delivery that is charming. This leads into a set of originals that Adams and Caletti use to create a sort of personal tour of South American music, highlighting their favourite sounds and rhythms. It is from this last collection of tunes that the set gains such a strong sense of two people with a shared love of the musics of South America seeking to encourage listeners to join them in their celebration. And this invitation is so heartfelt and the music so compelling that it is hard to imagine anyone wishing to resit.
Reviewed by Chris Baber
