I just got back from the Hornby Island Festival, where Sara Marreiros and her band played a charming, dramatic show on a stage set up between a huge maple tree and a herd of sheep (so Hornby, so great).
I was struck with how far that band goes outside of the usual folk festival fare, especially lately. They can pull off a precision, family friendly, world-fusion style, but I find that most of the time they hold back on that in favour of subtle, more emotional stuff. There are flashy, upbeat Portuguese fado numbers, but also slower, heartwrenching fados, sweet bossa nova tunes, a little country, a little jazz (in a good way)... and somehow it’s all very coherent, very much a band with a personality.
The entire quintet is in town for their bi-weekly show at Pagliacci’s tonight—a rare occurrence since Nathan (on bass) moved to Vancouver with his band Shapes and Sizes.
This would be a good night to check out Sara and the band!
(I should disclaim that my boyfriend and several friends are in the band, but their excellence surely trancends my bias.)
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