Individual musicians blend sounds into pleasing whole
Some styles of music are instantly recognizable, eliciting an emotional response that, while individual, is undeniable. Blues, gospel, samba, reggae, and others can shift one’s energy, within seconds of listening. Tango is one of those.
Tango (and some of its musical cousins) is what I, and more than 800 members of the Kelowna Community Concert Association, had the pleasure of enjoying at Evangel Church. Presented to us with absolute precision by the quintet Payadora, the music had that beautiful, focused energy that one feels when a tango starts. There seems to be a continual stretching and compression within the music, both in emotion and timing, which the musicians navigated flawlessly. As a musician myself, it was very impressive.
Right from the opening piece, we could hear that the musicianship was topnotch. All are multi - instrumentalists, with Rebekah Wolkstein on violin and vocals; Drew Jurecka playing bandoneon, violin and mandolin; Joseph Phillips on bass and acoustic guitar; and Clark Schaufele on piano and bass. Elbio Fernandez added his wonderful singing to some pieces.
The evening flowed well, the variations in energy keeping it interesting. Instrumental numbers would vary from the traditional, such as Nostalgico, to the sublime in Ondas, and the almost manic with Locura, Skeedaddle and Tachero. The last three were original compositions, by Wolkstein and Jurecka, both of whom are excellent composers and arrangers. The technical mastery required at times was mind-boggling, yet never unmusical to my ears. When listening to music of other cultures, it seems that one thing we have lost in modern Western music is story telling. With tango, there is always a narrative and Fernandez is a very fine storyteller. Singing in Spanish to a mostly non-Spanish-speaking audience, he still conveyed a lot, and his personality endeared him to the crowd. Wolkstein added her voice at times, creating a nice back-and-forth, or a beautiful harmony. One piece in the second half, Cancion de las Simples Cosas, featured just Rebekah Wolkstein and the stunning guitar work of Joseph Phillips. It was a lovely moment to breathe before resuming the energy of the full ensemble.
It was genuine pleasure listening to Payadora. Sometimes a collection of such capable individuals doesn’t translate into a cohesive sound, but in this case the group generated a tight, yet flexible, sound that captivated the audience. I highly recommend catching them if they ever come back this way.
In the meantime, watch for Dock Side Drive, the final concert of the current season. And KCCA memberships are now available at early-bird prices for next year’s fun, varied and very worthwhile concert program.