There are those rare occasions, when things connect rather than merely combine. A clear, deep, female voice and an acoustic guitar do just that. It is a union of original fertility. Mood and feeling rush to give their blessing; rhythm and passion, melody and melancholy all soon follow.
This is the music that the singer and songwriter Laura López Castro and the guitarist and composer Don Philippe create on their debut album ‘Mi libro abierto’, released on March 3rd 2006 on Max Herre’s label ‘Nesola´. The album works – beautifully, intensely– because these two spirits, who could hardly be more diverse, harmonise. You don’t necessarily have to understand the lyrics of the sincere and sensational Señorita López Castro. Nor do you have to follow the hands of the guitarist, Don Philippe; yet you will ‘get it’ - intuitively, absolutely.
“The whole wonder of music, of course, is that you understand it just like that, as a feeling”, says Don Philippe, “I am fascinated by Atahualpa Yupanqui from Argentina, for instance – who plays the guitar and sings in Spanish – even though I hardly understand a word. Why is it that I am so totally entranced, more captivated than if he was singing in a language I completely understand?”
“If it was only about words, you wouldn’t have to sing them”, answers Laura López Castro. Laura, still in her early twenties and the daughter of Spanish immigrants, grew up in Stuttgart (Germany) dancing Flamenco, making the inevitable experiments with her first rock band and loving Björk, Elbow and Kyuss.
Don Philippe, son of a Parisian mother and more than half a generation older than Laura, was known in his hometown of Stuttgart and as far as Europe, Japan and the US with his project “No Sé”. He later co-founded Freundeskreis, one of Germany’s most successful and respected Hip-Hop outfits, worked closely on Joy Denalane’s solo debut ‘Mamani’ and is an avid Jazz
fan.
The differences make these two an odd couple. The extroverted Laura and the unassuming Philippe complement each other completely, far better than many conventional duos. These two may think differently. Musically they are of the same mind. “It has to develop…” Laura says, starting to describe their work together, “everything has to fall into place,” adds Don Philippe. “I can’t compose harmonies without having a melody. So I used to start with a melody, then leave off for Laura, so she could develop it into one that fits her words more perfectly. But over the course of the work we found out…”
“…that it’s much better to write together from the start”, finishes Laura. “When the lyrics are there first and then we weave the music around them, it almost always comes out better.”
It is November of 2002; on the eve of her long-planned trip to Mexico, Laura records one of her own songs in the home studio of Don Philippe, the very significant other of her friend Ulla. They have talked about doing this for a long time, but now it is finally happening. Laura is nervous, because up to that moment she has only sung her own, very personal songs in the comfort of her own room, for and by herself. On her return from Mexico three months later Don Philippe has written music around her a cappella melody. ‘Mi libro abierto’, their very first song, was such a revelation that the two decide to team up. Together they study the Bossa Nova classics of Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto or Baden Powell, which they both love. They interpret these Brazilian legends, just Laura’s voice and Don Philippe’s guitar. They are soon joined by double bass player Christoph Sauer, former member of the ‘Freundeskreis’ live band. For a year the trio rehearse on a regular basis. Slowly and surely, the classics are replaced by their own, original compositions. The lyrics are in Spanish, obviously. It is Laura’s mother tongue and ‘Donde estas dulce amor?’ just sounds better than ‘Where are you, sweet love?’ and ‘Eclipse de luna en el cielo’ is more poetic than “Lunar eclipse in the sky”. The music develops an innate ingenuity, developed along their mutual path. The roots clearly lie in Bossa Nova, but grow towards Victor Jara (Chile), Ernesto Lecuona (Cuba), and on to Portuguese Fado or North American Jazz. The final result defies genre. Just listen to it yourself.
Someone listening and applauding from the very beginning was the German singer-songwriter, MC, producer and entrepreneur extraordinaire Max Herre. He invited Laura and Philippe to perform their piece ‘Flor que marchitará’ - the tender song of a ‘flower that is bound to wither and die’ - on his wildly successful album ‘Max Herre’, which was released by Four Music in september of 2004.
Now, for the first time, Laura and Don Philippe’s very own album is out on Herre’s new label ‘Nesola´.
Their songs are moving and completely enjoyable. The quiet ‘No es por ser ni por estar’ (Neither Being nor There) opens the album. It is Laura’s “rather late thank you note to my mother” and is elegantly interwoven with a string quartet. The quartet features again on ‘Mi amor lleva una espina’ (My Love bears A Thorn), “Ahora te veo más cerca” (Now I Can See You closer), the theme song ‘Mi libro abierto’ (My Open Book) and the new album version of ‘Flor que marchitará’. The album’s string arrangements are by Sebastian Studnitzky who is now in the spotlight with his work for Joy Denalane, Rebekka Bakken and Nils Landgren. Here he plays Fender Rhodes on Philippe and Laura’s lullaby ‘Nana’ and their relaxed ‘Mariposa perdida’. Other songs are graced by his breathtaking trumpet solos. Laura and Philippe also cover the guitar-voice duet ‘Sonhos’ by Peninha, which begins like a Bossa Nova standard but quickly and convincingly enters its very own worlds of sound. The other cover featured is ‘Estate’, originally a hit worldwide for its Italian composer Bruno Martino. The summery sentimentality of this song is hard to resist.
But all you really need to know is that these songs touch, emote, go under your skin, relax and excite. This beautiful voice and these intimate melodies will speak to you, familiar and human. You can marvel at Laura and Philippe’s simple charm or their harmonic complexity. This music communicates; passionately, melancholically and hopefully. It overwhelms with its calm and the enormous power of its authenticity
LAURA LOPEZ CASTRO - DATES
LAURA LOPEZ CASTRO
Currently not on tour
LAURA LOPEZ CASTRO - PHOTOS
Great song, great guy:
Four Music proudly presents
Rafael Weber - Es tut mir leid
