February 8, 2018

Tierra y Mar: A Flamenco Guitar Project

This is not your usual Circa Theatre fare; we've grown to expect at least a little context to accompany music. Paul Bosauder, the guitarist, is award winning and exceptionally talented but he is also quiet spoken and was somewhat overshadowed by the dramatic personality of the vocalist. She stole the show with her voice and personality, even though we couldn't understand her as she only spoke Spanish.

The style of music feels unpredictable with a mix of beats and improvisational style. You could see the performers checking what each other was doing, at times they seemed to be on different beats yet somehow it appeared intentional. But the music was too loud for the small space; it would have been better without amplification, the end of the night proved it wasn't necessary.

The first half was stifling hot and meant the instruments had to be tuned constantly. During the second half the air conditioning was on but it unfortunately caused a stream of cold air to be directed at the vocalist. The performers became more comfortable as the night progressed culminating in two encores which were the best part of the show. Not only were they relaxed but the vocalist had room to move, which she did beautifully, and without microphones the strange echo effect was gone.

If you like this style of music you'll love this show, if you're not familiar with it you may find yourself wondering why they didn't give the vocalist free rein and put her as the centre piece.

Note: bring cash to purchase a CD


Performances
: 8-10 February, 8:30pm
Tickets: $52

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