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Sweet Caipirinha
is a two-man band comprising of
Nas Bossalover and
Alan Breen. Nas is a
Thai singer and guitarist enamoured with the smooth Brazilian bossa
nova grooves of João
Gilberto. Nas'
reverb-drenched sound is simple, resonant and clear –
with the calming quality of a gentle wave washing over Ipanema beach.
Nas is augmented at La
Croisette
tonight by Alan
Breen's
delicate flute and tenor sax stylings. Jack has also heard a careless
whisper of a certain Sihanoukville-based singer making a special
guest appearance at the riverside gig.
A
glance at this week's gig guide shows
that the Phnom Penh music scene continues to provide a wealth of
great music on nearly every night of week. Despite soaring
temperatures and a dwindling number of tourists around the city,
one is still faced with a choice of several great gig options on
Saturday night. Olga
& Ramirez
and Lewis Pragasam
make an early evening start on the Shanghai
Bar
rooftop, providing some laid-back Latin sounds from 7pm.
Chilean-Swedish guitarist Pavel
Ramirez
has an understated and
expert style,
dovetailing
nicely with master percussionist Lewis
Pragasam's
Cajon and Olga
Andreeva's
vocal.
Saying
goodbye is something that expats in Cambodia become accustomed to
doing, particularly at this time of year when the heat is simply too
much for many Westerners. Most of us stick around for between six
and twelve
months before heading back home.
This
results
in a carousel
of changing
characters which keeps life fresh, interesting and surprising. The
expat music scene in Cambodia is always coming up with new bands and
different sounds. Jack
often
feels
that, unfortunately,
a band breaks
up at the very moment they are maturing into a strong, rehearsed, and
entertaining
unit. That
six
to
twelve
month staying period is often the same length of time it takes to
make a great band.
MWAUKA
& The Gang
have been with us since last September or so, combining the
outrageous stage presence and powerful vocals of French-Congolese
Esther
Mwauka
with the exuberant Latin-infused drumming of Luis
Arambarri and
the energetic percussion of Ali
Demberbouche.
Together with acoustic guitar, bass and saxophone, The Gang make a
groovy and fun outfit. They
will be performing together for the very
last time this Saturday night at FCC
– The Mansion.
The
star of the show is packing up her Cambodian bags after nearly five
years in Phnom Penh. Esther will be sorely missed and Jack
wishes her all the best upon her imminent return to France.
Also
on Saturday, the fantastic Jahzad
return to Equinox
for an evening of ska-jazz
fusion. One never quite knows which
combination of saxophone, trombone, trumpet, keyboards, bass, drums
and banjo to expect at a Jahzad show. Whatever configuration they
employ, this
instrumental-only band have the tunes, the musicianship and the
energy to make every gig bounce.
Those
brave enough to venture across the Chroy Changvar bridge on Sunday
afternoon can enjoy a riverside set from DJ
Wah-Wah
at the Boat House.
Hint: the view of the sunset on the Tonle Sap river is much better
from the eastern bank (and life is a little less hectic over there,
too). Live jazz can be enjoyed later on Sunday at Riverside
Asian Bistro,
where Seb Adnot
performs
American songbook standards with Phillipe
Javelle and
Lewis Pragasam.
Until next time, stay safe out there and... see you around the traps
JACK DIAMOND
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