Pacifika
Encyclopedia
Pacifika is a band formed by Silvana Kane, a Peruvian born singer, formerly of Canadian pop hit band West End Girls, and accomplished actress with a love of flamenco, electronica, and textured percussion; Adam Popowitz, a Canadian bred guitarist adept at new wave, classical, and pop, and a producer responsible for a catalogue that includes indie rock and Armenian folk music; and Toby Peter, a dub wise bassist born in Canada and raised in Barbados, explorer of jazz, hip-hop, metal and Caribbean grooves. Together the Vancouver based trio is making a new kind of global pop, music that nods to its diverse international influences, while forging its own unique voice.
According to Silvana Kane, Pacifika “is simply the Latin way of saying ‘peaceful’ in the feminine, except that we changed the 'c' to a 'k'.” That is a subtle spelling change, but an appropriate one for this multilingual band: their name is not English, not Spanish, but somehow international.
, among the best song of 2008. Pacifika has been praised by the Wall Street Journal, New York Post
, National Public Radio, Latina Magazine and KCRW.
Throughout its eleven tracks, Pacifika offers Latin
, pop
rhythms, flamenco
down tempo, electronic intrusions, acoustic guitars and drum loops mixed by the particular voice of Silvana Kane, who sings in her native language (Spanish) to give the production a more spontaneous and fresh feel.
Musically, the album has great strengths, from the opening “Sun”, a prayer which is supported by delicate textures and subtle arrangements that contrast with the hectic pace of “Me Caí”, the first single, which is a track dominated by guitar and percussion, composed on acoustic bases, legacy of flamenco , whose video clip received more than 50,000 views on Youtube
. It's the same with tracks like “Libertad” (only performed in English), “Paloma”, “Estrella de Mar” and “Chiquita”, which combine rhythm, intimacy and melody, reflecting the influences of all three members of the band.
, Spanish
and French
), with soft Latin rhythms, bursts of electric guitar and keyboards. Brazilian percussion adds color to the songs performed in French and Spanish, generating a unique result. In turn, the inclusion of exotic sounds like the buzzing of the environment, instruments such as Japanese bamboo flute or guitar in the background of “Little Me”, a ballad accompanied by acoustic guitar and electronic marimba (which sounds like a West African balofón), give it a unique profile that characterizes the band’s innovative musical style. A style that ranges from happy pop with English songs such as “Close To Everything” (opening song of the album) and “Le Matin” (in French), to “Chocolate”, which combines elements of hip hop
and dub
production, begins with a ballad with guitars and then expands to a catchy rhythm ending with a medieval chant. The ballads with inner voices are another of the resources used by Pacifika, as in “El Marinero”, performed in English, a ballad sung in whisper, with the unique arrangement of cellist Christina Zaenker. “Story”, another one of the English singles, is emotional and low key.
“Supermagique” also contains a cover of the song “25 or 6 to 4
”, originally recorded by the band Chicago
in 1970. This is the first cover song to be released by Pacifika. The song appears in the pilot episode of The CW
show "Ringer"
.
According to Silvana Kane, Pacifika “is simply the Latin way of saying ‘peaceful’ in the feminine, except that we changed the 'c' to a 'k'.” That is a subtle spelling change, but an appropriate one for this multilingual band: their name is not English, not Spanish, but somehow international.
Asuncion (album debut)
“Asuncion” was released by Six Degree Records and Universal Motown in 2008. It was quickly positioned on the list of the best new artists of iTunes Latino, was named Best Album of ´08 NPR and “Editor Picks” from AmazonAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, among the best song of 2008. Pacifika has been praised by the Wall Street Journal, New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, National Public Radio, Latina Magazine and KCRW.
Throughout its eleven tracks, Pacifika offers Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
rhythms, flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
down tempo, electronic intrusions, acoustic guitars and drum loops mixed by the particular voice of Silvana Kane, who sings in her native language (Spanish) to give the production a more spontaneous and fresh feel.
Musically, the album has great strengths, from the opening “Sun”, a prayer which is supported by delicate textures and subtle arrangements that contrast with the hectic pace of “Me Caí”, the first single, which is a track dominated by guitar and percussion, composed on acoustic bases, legacy of flamenco , whose video clip received more than 50,000 views on Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. It's the same with tracks like “Libertad” (only performed in English), “Paloma”, “Estrella de Mar” and “Chiquita”, which combine rhythm, intimacy and melody, reflecting the influences of all three members of the band.
Supermagique (second album)
“Supermagique” is their second album and was released in August 2010. Unlike the first, one can see the growth of the band as a unit. Pacifika’s music presents multilingual music (EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
), with soft Latin rhythms, bursts of electric guitar and keyboards. Brazilian percussion adds color to the songs performed in French and Spanish, generating a unique result. In turn, the inclusion of exotic sounds like the buzzing of the environment, instruments such as Japanese bamboo flute or guitar in the background of “Little Me”, a ballad accompanied by acoustic guitar and electronic marimba (which sounds like a West African balofón), give it a unique profile that characterizes the band’s innovative musical style. A style that ranges from happy pop with English songs such as “Close To Everything” (opening song of the album) and “Le Matin” (in French), to “Chocolate”, which combines elements of hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
production, begins with a ballad with guitars and then expands to a catchy rhythm ending with a medieval chant. The ballads with inner voices are another of the resources used by Pacifika, as in “El Marinero”, performed in English, a ballad sung in whisper, with the unique arrangement of cellist Christina Zaenker. “Story”, another one of the English singles, is emotional and low key.
“Supermagique” also contains a cover of the song “25 or 6 to 4
25 or 6 to 4
"25 or 6 to 4" is a song written by American musician Robert Lamm, one of the founding members of the rock/jazz fusion band Chicago. It was recorded for their second album, Chicago , with Peter Cetera on lead vocals. The song was edited and released as a single in June of the year 2009, climbing to...
”, originally recorded by the band Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
in 1970. This is the first cover song to be released by Pacifika. The song appears in the pilot episode of The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
show "Ringer"
Ringer (TV series)
Ringer is an American television series that premiered on The CW on September 13, 2011. The series stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, who plays twin sisters Bridget Kelly and Siobhan Martin...
.