Encontros / Rencontres by Virginie Hamel

Encontros (which means “meeting” in English) is the long overdue recording debut of Virginie Hamel, a singer with a beautiful sound and a smile in her voice.

Virginie has wanted to record Brazilian music for a long time. For this project she gathered together four talented and versatile musicians who live in Canada but have their origins in other countries. Pianist Manoel Vieira and drummer Aquiles Melo are originally from Brazil, bassist Juan Cruz (who also plays guitar) grew up in Argentina, and percussionist Dayron Luis Muguercia is from Cuba. “I met Juan 12 years ago and we have played a lot together. He studied jazz at Marseille Conservatory, performed with many Brazilian bands and artists during his 20 years in France, and is fluent in Portuguese so he really gets what the lyrics are about. He has the right groove for this music and always does just what the music needs. It was great for me when I met Manoel because I knew I could bring in whatever Brazilian song I wanted to sing and he would know what to do with it since he grew up with this music. He pushes me to find new ways and new paths in my singing. Aquiles, who lives in Montreal, also knows every Brazilian song. He is a very reactive and creative player whether on the drums or on the pandeiro and hand percussion. Dayron on congas has a lot of technique and a huge vocabulary. His playing is the icing on the cake on the songs that needed congas and guiro.”

Knowing four very skilled musicians who have the same love for Brazilian music as she did inspired Virginie to book a studio in Montreal for two days. She originally thought of recording an EP with just a few songs so there was no pressure and the atmosphere was relaxed. “We had not rehearsed since this is material that we had already played together on a number of occasions. The recording experience was so joyful with everyone in a good mood and just happy to be there. The arrangements came together spontaneously and everybody was very committed to the music.” Before she knew it, Virginie had a full album of delightful music that showcased her highly appealing singing.

Except for “Tu Verras” which she performs in French, all of Virginie’s singing on Encontros is in Portuguese which she studied in the past. “I wanted to sing the bossa novas in their original language. This is a collection of classic and contemporary bossa nova and samba songs but with a jazz orientation. Each of these songs is a little gem that I wanted to bring to light.” Even listeners who do not speak Portuguese will enjoy these performances which are filled with rich melodies and mix together joy with a haunting feeling of melancholy.

- Scott Yanow, jazz journalist/historian and author of 12 books including The Jazz Singers

"Virginie Hamel, a singer with a beautiful sound and a smile in her voice." Known for her great sense of style and aesthetics, Virginie sings jazz and jazz-orientated music in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. Her interpretations are fresh and accessible yet profound at the same time, drawing the listener into a world of sophistication and beauty.

virginiehamel.ca