Twelve pieces, mostly samba classics by Caetano Veloso, Tom Jobim, Baden Powell and others, formed the backdrop for an enchanting performance on a cool and pleasant Athenian evening in the relaxing surroundings of the Athens Megaron garden. The acoustics were exquisitely arranged, with the odd cicada joining the band at regular intervals, as if to remind the audience of the improvisation abilities of the permanent residents of the garden.
An inventively modified “Girl from Ipanema” was delivered by Klampanis’ bass and Spiros Manesis’ piano, with Christos Rafailidis’ vibraphone flawlessly replacing Astrud Gilberto’s vocals in the original piece, although not through lack of vocal talent. The two vocalists, Miranda Verouli and Katerina Polemi, sang a number of tunes not only with passion and brio, but also with Brazilian accents that were indistinguishable from the real thing.
The inclusion of the string quartet, with Alexandros Botinis on cello, Panagiotis Arapoglou on viola, and Dionisis Vervitsiotis and Migen Selmani on violins, was literally and metaphorically instrumental in creating a most original sound that is rarely encountered in samba tunes. Angelos Polichronou’s percussion and Polemi’s and Klampanis’ stints on the acoustic guitar complemented further the distinctive sound of the band.
Altogether the performance provided a most enjoyable evening that Megaron would be well advised to arrange more often.
Mihalis Yianneskis
Petros Klampanis Brazilian Project:
Miranta Verouli, Katerina Polemi vocals
Spyros Manesis piano
Petros Klampanis double bass
Bodek Janke percussion, drums
String Quartet
