Review: Roxanna - Exotica

It’s the rare individual who has that perfect package. These are the artists that shows like “American Idol” and “The Voice” spend months searching for, trying to find not only the next great voice but also that person with the right look and charisma to take it to the next level. Rising singer-songwriter Roxanna is just such an artist.

Originally born in Iran and raised learning English from her musical heroes Olivia Newton-John and Julio Iglesias, the artist later migrated to Toronto due to the increasing strife between her home country and Iraq. College followed which allowed her to fine tune her English skills as well as develop her voice further, largely through her involvement in a choir which expanded her musical palette that much more.

But it was through her furthered education as a nurse that Roxanna truly found her potential in the most unusual of ways. Both in her training and in her budding career as a nurse, the artist witnessed firsthand the healing power of music, seeing her voice bring joy to a patient with dementia and lead her to eat while on another hand it aided a young man undergoing cancer treatments. And when a patient’s relative inquired as to why Roxanna wasn’t pursuing music full time, the stars aligned as that person stepped forward to pave the way for Roxanna to engage her dream.

The result of that winding road is the artist’s debut project, Exotica, and it captures the heart of the artist perfectly. Blending elements of adult contemporary, jazz, and Latin and flamenco rhythms, the album benefits greatly from the deft production of Mark Portmann (Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Barbara Streisand), carving out space for the real star of the show which is Roxanna’s rich and luxurious voice.

Things start out smooth and sultry with the Latin flair of “Only You,” an English version of the Iglesias hit “Como Tu,” and sets the standard for a theme that is recreated throughout the record as smoldering guitars and organic flairs of percussion steal the show. Tracks such as “Unforgotten,” a painfully personal tale of the artist being left at the altar, and the title track follow suit, the latter providing some sweeping strings and the opportunity for Roxanna’s voice to truly shine.

“Hello” carries those rhythms forward, blending them with hits of jazz fueled by some sensual trumpet work while “El Amor” is full on Spanish as the artist covers another classic from Julio Iglesias with passion. “Fresh” mines some spicy flamenco guitar and smoldering vocals from the artist as “Today” keeps the Latin sounds rolling with more amazing guitars and bold percussion, Roxanna letting the instrumentals hold sway this time out.

“Here With Me” boasts smooth trumpet work and a jazzy flair courtesy of Chris Botti while “Close Your Eyes” feels like a Celine or Streisand B-side, the arrangement rich and orchestral, Roxanna’s voice clearly up to the task. A lighthearted acoustic pop vibe colors “My Best Friend (Miko),” a playful track about the artist’s dog which provides some welcome texture as her cover of The Hollies harnesses more horns and emotive strings that lay a framework for the artist’s big vocals. Pop meets jazz on the smooth sounds of “Loved” and things get downright poignant on “Beautiful Rose,” a soaring ballad that honors Roxanna’s late mother, further accented by work from the Prague Orchestra and further soul from Botti.

With Exotica, Roxanna makes her first big significant step toward stardom. With her rich and resonant vocal tones and smooth phrasing accented by great production and solid songwriting as well, this record should go far toward pushing her to the  next level, a level that is in need of her strong perspective and sublime voice.

Review: Cinco Santos - Duplicidad

There is one truly universal language in our world and that is music. It’s a force and power that transcends boundaries, whether they are political, national, social, or other. Music runs deeper than all of these, tapping into something primal and visceral within each and every one of us, and speaks to deep places, conjuring emotion and feeling. That’s why it’s so engaging to take on a review of a project like Cinco Santos and their debut release, Duplicidad. For even though this is a foreign language release, its heartbeat steps across the barriers of the spoken word and speaks instead to the soul.

The brainchild of guitarist, songwriter, and visionary Lorenzo Montero, Cinco Santos came together after a two-year-long search across Los Angeles as the artist sought out the perfect members of the team to create the band’s signature sound. And, with time, Montero found just the men he was looking for, bringing together lead singer Daniel Jimenez, Lorenzo Montero on  guitar and vocals, Jesse Stern on bass, Willard Lozano on guitar and shredder, and Emiliano Almeida on drums. With members boasting an eclectic citizenship that ranges from Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, the United States, and Canada, this was a musical collective bound to bring some excitement to the table.

That excitement grew in 2012 when the band opted to dive in and collectively develop original songs rather than seeking out demos from others.

“Sharing in the creative process solidified the band as an artistic entity and yielded our strongest material,” Montero shares. “The next stage of our evolution happened as we experimented with how to fuse our different stylistic elements together, and add electronic beats to give our music a unique groove and very contemporary feel.”

That fusion turned into a beautiful thing and helps to make Duplicidad a truly delightful listen.

The album’s sound draws broadly between borders, finding the multicultural group sample from obvious Latin elements and bridging them with healthy doses of pop, rock, and even electronica, creating a sound that is altogether Cinco Santos. “Candela” gets things off to a fiery start, rich, full guitar chops layered across tightly played percussion and accented perfectly with Jimenez’s pitch perfect vocals while “Azuca y Amor” shines with its bright Latin acoustic guitar and soulful rhythms.

Those same elements color tracks like “Caramelo,” organic percussion bringing extra life, and “Te Cantare Todos Los Dias,” which is solid bridge between the old and the new, traditional sounds leading into more contemporary pop flair. “Te Quiero Aqui” makes the transition complete as Cinco Santos deliver a stirring pop ballad with vibrant energy and musicianship but it’s the title track, “Duplicidad,” that really surprises. It’s a jam that finds the band infusing their roots alongside some powerful rock notes, chunky riffing guitars alongside acoustic fills that form a killer sound while Jimenez continues to deliver vocally. And the sheer energy of “No Me Digas,” complete with a raging string solo, really highlights the band’s great musicianship, allowing all the parts to shine.

There’s only one track that really doesn’t register strongly here, and that is “Loco.” It’s hampered by a musical soundscape that is one of the more uninteresting, although still masterfully played, as well as a chorus that is a bit too repetitive to really have any staying power. But its one small hiccup on what is otherwise an impressive output of spirit and sound.

Cinco Santos’ debut, Duplicidad, is truly an album that escapes borders and stereotypes, tapping into the simple emotion that music is. As tight knit a musical collective that you’ll find, this record showcases them at their best, delivering a compelling mix of traditional and modern rhythms, resulting in an album that will find you coming back for more.