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Pacifika’s new video, “Le Matin” is being featured on the “Revelations” section on Radio Canada’s website. This is the second video off the band’s sophomore album, “Supermagique”, and it was directed by Douglas Thomson. Click HERE to watch the video
Pacifika is a truly global trio. Silvana Kane is the lead singer from Peru, Adam Popowitz is the Canadian guitarist, and Toby Peter brings in his Barbados influence as bassist. Currently based in Canada, the three of them collaborate to produce what is the unique sound known as Pacifika, Spanish for “peaceful” but the “c” is changed to a “k”, evoking a lingual mix more representative of their music. Read the whole review HERE.
On their sophomore release (which follows up on 2008?s “Asuncion”), the multinational trio formed by Silvana Kane (vocals), Adam Popowitz (guitar) and Toby Peter (bass), continues to push their clever blend of pop, soul, Latin alternative and Eastern music. Their sound brings together tablas, African drums, electronics and indie-music sensibilities into one cohesive package, and the result is often surprising. Read the whole review HERE.
Rock Innovators To Hear Now: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130217309#commentBlock
A feature on Pacifika and “Supermagique was published today in Univision.com, the #1 Spanish-language site in the US. Just a few hours after the article was published, the article already has over 1,400 Facebook “Likes”. You can read the article HERE.
The second release from Vancouver-based Pacifika consolidates the magical blend of their critically acclaimed debut (Asuncion, 2008), as these former rockers and poppers produce something all together more sophisticated. Vocalist Silvana Kane graduated the '90's 'teen sensations' West End Girls to become the sultry focus of Pacifika's exotic cafe society brew, singing in Spanish or French or English depending on the rhythm and mood of the particular track. Bassist/ drummer Toby Peters was part of the underrated Canadian shoegazers Salvador Dream, and now pilots a world of groove idioms, helping to produce these cool tracks that are rhythmic enough for the clubs and yet smooth enough for the CBC. And guitarist/engineer Adam Popowitz was raised on rock, but now expresses himself in a more textured way - quiet and acoustic in some places (like their dreamy version of Chicago's "25 Or 6 To 4") or cookin and multi-layered in groovers like "Supermagique." It's too bad their Chicago session delayed this release, because Supermagique would have been a great summer listen. (SuperMagique review on Tandem and Corriere Canadese)
Following the release of Pacifika’s second album Supermagique earlier this month (September 2010), Vivioscene had an opportunity to talk with Silvana Kane, the group’s lead singer, about their music. Read the whole interview HERE
This Canadian group (whose name means "peaceful", and with the "k" substituted for the usual "c" in the spelling communicates "peaceful with an edge") is delivering new music of a high order – global and ethereal via a delicious mix of Latin rhythms with a multilingual approach of English, Spanish and French lyrics. Their first album, Asuncion, received rave reviews and as good as it was, their new work just released in August 2010 is leaps and bounds above their earlier release.
Let’s get something out of the way. The group’s singer, Silvana Kane, is the feature attraction both for her beauty and the stylized eroticism of her supermagical voice. Youtube videos and presskit photos of the group may appear consciously designed to seduce the viewer and there are those in the media who have not been comfortable with that. However, there is nothing in either the videos or the photos that is unduly provocative. Silvana would be memorable even if she were wearing a parka and a toque. She simply matches the beauty of the group’s music. I don’t see any hint of exploitation in the marketing of the group’s image.
The new album Supermagique is a polished and sophisticated outing that grows on the listener with every hearing. The guitar playing, with its flamenco and classical influences, is exceptional. The percussion work, supported by some great bass-playing, supplies a bottom end that is all the more appreciated on a great music system. The production values on this album are superb. Last but not least, this is an incredibly joyful work that with Silvana’s heavenly vocals seems to have been conceived and executed on the dawn of a new and exciting day. It may change your view of the world – and convince you that life is a thrilling and magical adventure. The music is intoxicating as well as being an intriguing mix of Brazilian, Spanish and unclassifiable textures wedded to strong production values; some might consider their music as a form of electronica, but if so it is electronica with a deeply personal touch.
The standout track is their inventive cover of the old Chicago tune Twenty-five or six to four. There are two kinds of covers – one being a replication of the existing work, and the second being a reimagining, a re-invention that brings to mind both a deeper understanding of the original, and a celebration of the cover artist’s powers of persuasion. With Pacifika we are talking the latter case.
In addition, I highly recommend the following tracks for their sheer beauty of production and their flawless execution: the title track Supermagique with its great groove and hypnotic vocal, and Little Me with its gorgeous acoustic overlaid with a dreamy vocal. This latter tune is a wonderful song about the unimportance of man in a vast but undeniably beautiful universe. Doce Meses is also a great track, with a superb Youtube video.
Silvana got her start a few years ago in the Vancouver-based band West End Girls. They had a few minor hits and Silvana decided to stretch her wings by experimenting with Latin and world rhythms. She is Peruvian by birth, and cosmopolitan in her musical influences. Backed by the classically-trained guitarist Adam Popowitz and the versatiled bassist Toby Peter, the group gained early notice in 2008 both on iTunes and National Public Radio. Now managed by the noted Los Angeles artists’ management company Union Entertainment Group, Pacifika is rapidly gaining international attention. (review on VivoScene.com of Supermagique)
There is magic and enchantment in the music Pacifka create. Each of the Vancouver trio’s members is a wizard of texture. Silvana Kane’s siren call beckons in breathy whispers of melody or flowing, filtered verses of spoken word in Spanish, French and English. Her seductive coos massage your ears as they melt the cones from your speakers. Adam Popowitz blends and layers atmospheres of acoustic and electric guitars in gentle Latin rhythms, soaring cries of solo voicings and dark distortions. Toby Peter is the propellant that gives rhythm to the sonic waves. His bass work bubbles and roils, occasionally near the surface, often deep in the trench of a warm tropical groove. SuperMagique, Pacifika’s second international release on Six Degrees also showcases the percussion talents of two of Vancouver’s finest; Eliot Polsky and Joseph ‘Pepe’ Danza. The new album is as unpredictable as open sea. The breezy and accessible openers, Close To Everything and Chocolate set a tempo for the listener’s passage. The title, and my personal favorite, SuperMagique signals a psychedelic squall of fuzzed guitars and percolating bass hooks. Then, we are cast inexplicable adrift as the energy dissipates for a few numbers before the sails billow once again with the polyrhythmic first video single, Doce Meses. Another sweet surprise is their soft treatment of Chicago’s blistering Robert Lamm-written classic, 25 Or 6 To 4. (Worldbeat Album Reviews by Cal Koat)
I put this on in the kitchen and just about cut a thumb off jumping around. It’s the second release for the Vancouver trio of Silvano Kane, Adam Popowitz and Toby Peter, and it’s infused with South American rhythms you will not be able to ignore. There’s a surprising cover of Chicago’s 40-year-old "25 Or 6 to 4," but their own "Chocolate" is the showstopper. (Vancouver Province Review by John P. McLaughlin)
Six Degrees do it again. Another coool release, just the kind of music that reeks of quality and longevity. They also have a penchant for choosing bands with great, gorgeous looking female front persons..lol..
This is Transnational Pop. Following on from bands like Vampire Weekend, Pacifika incorporate the best of Western pop with AfroPop and Bossa Nova flavas.
This release has a feel similair to previous releases on Six Degress, by the likes of The Do, Shrift and Undersea Poem, in that, there’s s a fresh, summer, west coast feel about it all. It all has “the sunshine in the Gradudate movie” feel about it all.
If you’re after some Transnational Pop flavas then you really can’t go wrong by exploring this work. (Generation Bass review of SuperMagique)
Hailing from Vancouver, the trio Pacifika expands their horizon beyond a downtempo dream-date soundtrack. The three performers tap their ethnic backgrounds -- Spanish island culture mostly -- to create an alluring blend of folk styles and electronic effects. "Supermagique" is a perfect cocktail-hour disc.
While they have gone more dancefloor than spa in places -- especially in the pump of the barrio bassline in "Chocolat," a brazen attempt to secure a hit with a appeal to fans of NPR and J-Lo -- they are at their most convincing in the slower material.
Silvana Kane's inviting vocals in Spanish and English are consistently alluring regardless of language. The album hits its stride about two-thirds through with the breezy "Doce Meses," the ballad "Perlas" and the cello-driven mood piece "The Mariner." They give Chicago's "25 Or 6 to 4" the Nouvelle Vogue treatment, convincingly reducing the classic rock hit to its barest elements. (SoundSpike review of SuperMagique)This Canadian group (whose name means "peaceful", and with the "k" substituted for the usual "c" in the spelling communicates "peaceful with an edge") is delivering new music of a high order – global and ethereal via a delicious mix of Latin rhythms with a multilingual approach of English, Spanish and French lyrics. Their first album, Asuncion, received rave reviews and as good as it was, their new work just released in August 2010 is leaps and bounds above their earlier release.
Let’s get something out of the way. The group’s singer, Silvana Kane, is the feature attraction both for her beauty and the stylized eroticism of her supermagical voice. Youtube videos and presskit photos of the group may appear consciously designed to seduce the viewer and there are those in the media who have not been comfortable with that. However, there is nothing in either the videos or the photos that is unduly provocative. Silvana would be memorable even if she were wearing a parka and a toque. She simply matches the beauty of the group’s music. I don’t see any hint of exploitation in the marketing of the group’s image.
The new album Supermagique is a polished and sophisticated outing that grows on the listener with every hearing. The guitar playing, with its flamenco and classical influences, is exceptional. The percussion work, supported by some great bass-playing, supplies a bottom end that is all the more appreciated on a great music system. The production values on this album are superb. Last but not least, this is an incredibly joyful work that with Silvana’s heavenly vocals seems to have been conceived and executed on the dawn of a new and exciting day. It may change your view of the world – and convince you that life is a thrilling and magical adventure. The music is intoxicating as well as being an intriguing mix of Brazilian, Spanish and unclassifiable textures wedded to strong production values; some might consider their music as a form of electronica, but if so it is electronica with a deeply personal touch.
The standout track is their inventive cover of the old Chicago tune Twenty-five or six to four. There are two kinds of covers – one being a replication of the existing work, and the second being a reimagining, a re-invention that brings to mind both a deeper understanding of the original, and a celebration of the cover artist’s powers of persuasion. With Pacifika we are talking the latter case.
In addition, I highly recommend the following tracks for their sheer beauty of production and their flawless execution: the title track Supermagique with its great groove and hypnotic vocal, and Little Me with its gorgeous acoustic overlaid with a dreamy vocal. This latter tune is a wonderful song about the unimportance of man in a vast but undeniably beautiful universe. Doce Meses is also a great track, with a superb Youtube video.
Silvana got her start a few years ago in the Vancouver-based band West End Girls. They had a few minor hits and Silvana decided to stretch her wings by experimenting with Latin and world rhythms. She is Peruvian by birth, and cosmopolitan in her musical influences. Backed by the classically-trained guitarist Adam Popowitz and the versatiled bassist Toby Peter, the group gained early notice in 2008 both on iTunes and National Public Radio. Now managed by the noted Los Angeles artists’ management company Union Entertainment Group, Pacifika is rapidly gaining international attention. (review on VivoScene.com)
"At the Wells Fargo stage, Vancouver, B.C., trio Pacifika's sensuous, exhilarating blend of Latin, jazz, flamenco and electronica was an unexpected delight. Peruvian-born singer Silvana Kane introduced "Chiquita" with a few words about shedding one's inhibitions like the people behind the masks at Mardi Gras... This group is surely destined for a larger stage in world music.” Gene Stout (Seattle Post Intelligencer at Bumbershoot)
"Pacifika, a Canadian band led by a Peruvian thrush that incorporates downtempo grooves, a bit of jazz and some Latin touches, is gaining some airplay with its bilingual track "Sweet." Anchored by bass and drums, Silvana Kane provides an effervescent voice as a focal point while the melodies drift around her." (Variety)
"As most of Pacifika's songs unfold, a seductive vocal settles above plucked chords of a nylon-string guitar, pulsing percussion and lush synthesized sounds, and thus the band bridges that clear, unhurried form of João Gilberto-influenced pop and the mellow side of electronica. But there are a few surprises that give "Asunción" its unexpected tang." JIM FUSILLI (The Wall Street Journal)
“The album they created is eclectic, a little bit chill-out and melancholic but also with several ass-shaking songs. Imagine the sounds you might hear while traveling through the worlds where their music finds inspiration - Latin America, Spain, North America and the UK and you'll get what they are aiming for.” – New York Post
“The group’s new album is nothing short of transcendent-a bold fusion of jazzy beats, electronica and Latin flavor that suggests a multi-phased trip to paradise.” – Global Rhythm
“Peruvian Native Kane is strong and interesting on vocals to keep this debut coasting smoothly, while her backing team is diverse – including rumba, jazz, reggae, and synthesized Andean flutes – to create a refreshing and light electronic breakthrough.” – XLR8R
“…smooth-sounding mix of silky vocals, sweet guitar and classy beats on their new album Asunción… Highly stylized, world-y sounding hipster-pop, it fits in the vein of the Thievery Corporation and Bebel Gilberto.” – Toronto Star
“Pacifika’s pop roots give the group a contemporary edge, whether it’s a hypnotic dancehall groove on “Me Caí” or the droning feedback on “Mas y Mas.” And despite the Spanish lyrics, Kane’s sensuous voice makes Pacifika every bit accessible as Shakira.” – Inside Entertainment Canada
“The CD is titled Asuncion and it's full of great mood music, perfect music to chill to. Silvana Kane has this super seductive, raspy voice and the music just draws you in and makes you feel good all over. I love how textured it is. There are bits of electronica, dub reggae, Spanish and Latin in the mix and the band brings all these elements together very nicely.” – CBC Toronto
“…smooth, spirited and stylish.” – Vancouver Courier
