Mireya Ramos
18th June 2021
Hygge Cafe, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
Review by Rob Harbers, feature photograph by Andrei Averbuch.
While it was brewing up to something pretty shitty outside, New York-based chanteuse Mireya Ramos brought the warmth to the appropriately named Hygge cafe, tucked right beside the ocean where the road runs out toward the southern tip of Hawke Bay.
It’s a perverse fact of the reviewer’s job that sometimes the best shows can be the hardest to write about, due to getting so carried along by the experience that not a lot of notes get written! This was one of those nights, where the audience, including yours truly, were held captivated by an outstanding performance, which deserves to be seen by a much greater number of people. Guess that made us the fortunate ones then…
Mireya is one whose name may not be particularly well known, so a brief introduction:she is a vocalist, composer and violinist of Dominican and Mexican heritage, raised in Puerto Rico and now resident in New York, where she founded the city’s first all-women mariachi band, Les Flor de Toloaches. The band performed at Womad 2020, on the eve of lockdown, and when it was time to return Stateside, Mireya and partner Andy Averbuch chose instead to ride out the storm in Aotearoa, in some ways echoing the story of a certain other Covid refugee, Amanda Palmer. Over their time in the country, Mireya and Andy (who plays a mean jazz guitar) have joined up with various local sidemen, playing at various places around the country, including a recent appearance at the Wellington Jazz Festival. A desire to explore further reaches of their place of sanctuary, prior to departure on 1st August to the States, saw them fetch up at Hygge Cafe in Clifton, where owners Robyn and Kerry Brannigan are building a reputation for hosting live music in one of the most scenic establishments in the Bay.
Early on in the set, Mireya made a reference to one of the songs bringing her joy, and the way that this statement called to mind the KonMari concept of “sparking joy” would prove to be entirely apt for the rest of the show, as she and guitarist Andy and Mark Baynes on keys proceeded to Kondo the fuck out of a dynamic set of originals and covers, with not an excess note to be heard, nor one that did anything other than spark joy!
The musical style could perhaps be described as Latinx jazz, with strong jazz underpinnings supplemented by a decidedly south-of-the-border spiciness, perhaps best exemplified in the song “Fever”, drawing its influence from “The Queen of Latin Soul”, Cuban star La Lupe’s interpretation of the number bringing a sultry energy to proceedings. Mireya’s second single, a cover of Bowie’s “Lady Grinning Soul” which on record had no less than Mike Garson playing on it, was another highlight showing deep respect for the essential elements of the source material while not being afraid to take it in new directions (and isn’t that exactly what jazz is, at its core?), and giving an early sampler of formidable vocal prowess.
Alongside the covers, the original material stood up proudly, displaying the sheer depth of talent of its composer, and the ensemble. “Climbing Fences”, the imminent single, is inspired by the events in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014 which led to some of the earliest manifestations of Black Lives Matter protests, and is a powerful evocation of the emotional climate of the ongoing unrest. “Nunca te voy a olvidar”, with its theme of bringing one’s original culture to where one finds themself, was both very apposite for the circumstances and successful in expressing its intentions, with its lyrics of “I will never forget you” accompanied by a soulful and emotive instrumental backing.
Further standouts of the night were a cover of Radiohead’s “High and Dry”, reaching heights that Thom Yorke would never have dreamed of, and the Gnarls Barkley classic “Crazy”, with an extended instrumental and vocal workout amounting to an exploration of collective insanity. The well-known “Besame Mucho” had a languid, relaxed feel, bringing a touch of spicy warmth to what, outside at least, was a somewhat less-than-tropical climate. Latin Hygge, perhaps!
A version of “Dos Gardenias”, earlier performed by Buena Vista Social Club, brought the Caribbean to this spot beside the Pacific, and featured some exquisite violin from Mireya.
I could go on for much longer than I have, but I’m already well past deadline, and probably lost some readers a few paragraphs back, so just take it from me – if you can, while you can, take the opportunity to catch this ensemble before they depart these shores. There are further gigs planned for Auckland, New Plymouth, and maybe one or two surprises in store, if things can work out, and if you’re anywhere near one, don’t think twice. I’ve said it before, and the fact that you’ve read up to this point suggests you may have some faith in my opinions, but trust me on this one – you won’t be disappointed!
Were you there at the Hygge Cafe for this magnificent gig? Or have you seen Mireya Ramos perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Set List:
- Beauty Free
- Lady Grinning Soul
- Festa Vacio
- High and Dry
- Blue Skies
- Dos Gardenias
- Fever
- Dicen
- Besame Mucho
- Nunca te voy a olvidar
- Crazy
- Sentimental Mood
- Besos de Mezcal
- Tunisia
- Climbing Fences [encore]
Note: Mireya Ramos provided passes to Ambient Light to review this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only.
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