Enchanting music that transports listeners to the streets of Paris and Buenos Aires yet with the freshness of a rainforest, captures the art of Sostenuto at a recent festival.
The name means “sustained” and is a way of playing music. For Anna Lumiere and Serena Eades it is also a way of living and creating lasting beauty in the world.
While both musicians tour and record across the continent with other ensembles, this duo has taken to the road by bicycle to support their own debut release Pièces, which has much to sustain the listener. They finish their bicycle tour at the HUB 101 in Powell River on September 20. This will be their second show at the HUB, having previously been there in 2012.
From Argentine Tango to French Musette to folk melodies, Sostenuto’s instrumental Pièces delights the senses. The cinematographic works range from the dark and light of Pièce to the arch sophistication of Choro em Brighton to the arabesque Dance of the Nymphs to the plain “feel good’ of Welcome Back. All of the compositions are carefully arranged and incorporate guest artists Marcus Santos on percussion, Nate Sabat and Flávio Lira on bass, and Naseem Alatrash on cello.
As to sustainability, this will be Lumiere and Eades’ third pedal-powered tour. As much as possible, Sostenuto travels by bicycle. With the accordion in the trailer and the violin in a special side bag they have performed acoustically all over BC.
After obtaining a degree in classical music while concurrently playing and learning fiddle, Eades went on to complete a second degree at the Berklee College of Music where she studied world and jazz music. She has performed and recorded with numerous North American artists, most recently performing with Delhi 2 Dublin, Dream Theatre and Beat Circus. She is also the co-founder of The Rakish Angles, nominated several times for Western Canadian Music Awards and a Canadian Folk Music Award.
Lumiere, originally from Switzerland, studied Jazz Performance at Capilano University and has played in many ensembles including Bossa Quatro,Trio Indigo, Anagram and Green Room and with artists such as Brad Turner, Coco Love Alcorn and Lily Frost. She is founder of and composer for the group Mimosa. The ensemble has produced three albums, toured throughout Canada, and been featured on radio and television. Lumiere recently received an Independent Music Award nomination for her compositions. The recipient of a Canada Council grant, she has spent the last six months studying the accordion with Steve Normandin in Montreal.
The show will take place at 8 pm on Saturday, September 20, at the HUB. Admission is by suggested donation of $10. More information can be found online.
