March 5, 2010
Carolee Nicely For The Times
Vancouver-based Tambura Rasa performed for a full house at the Capitol Theatre on Friday night.
Incense was being burnt onstage behind Trevor Grant's drum set. The lights were very dim, which created an intimate environment.
The band started the concert with a song entitled "Ceo Svet," accompanied by their sultry belly dancer Tassia. From the minute they started playing their instruments, the audience was captivated by the hypnotic grooves of Tambura Rasa's authentic world music.
Whie most of the compositions were instrumental, each of the musicians added something special to the mix, creating an entrancing fusion. At one point, multi-ppercussionist Joseph (Pepe) Danza was using a hip scarf (used for belly dancing) as an instrument, beating it against one of his African drums. Pepe also played the flute and shakuhachi.
The band played two sets compiled of eight and seven songs, each separated by a 15-minute intermission.
Michael Fraser was playing his violin as though he was one with it. full of passion and vivacity, while steadily grooving to the band's momentum.
Flamenco dancer, Karen Pitkethly, danced during three of the songs including the Flamenco Tango and Middle-Eastern fusion song "Mujeres" which also featured Tassia.
Guitarist and vocalist Ivan Tucakov sang lyrics in half a dozen languages at times, while elaborately finger picking the nylon strings on his classical guitar, while bassist John Bews cultivated a perpetual bass line that worked as a backbone for the multi-faceted compositions of Tambura Rasa.
The band played three songs from each of their three albums, Kamanala, Sunrise on a New World, and Viaje. They also played four new songs entitled "Vrcka," "Adsum," "Lament de Amistad" and "Se Smej."
The whole concert was a special treat for the audience. A few of the most memorable moments were varying and wonderfully long percussion solos by Trevor and Pepe in "Hey Mister." And "Lament de Amistad," that featured a solo in which Karen was dancing and Ivan was playing guitar.
After both sets, Tambura Rasa came back and played the eighth song of the second set, "Anadol," as an encore, which received a thunderous applause.
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