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Dec 15 - Dec 22,2002 |
Bet.e & Stef do bossa nova
The Montreal duo take their growing success Day By Day
By Kerry Doole
Originally Published: 2002-11-17
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Bet.e and Stef do a Montreal version of bossa nova music
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Dynamic Montreal duo Bet.e and Stef are writing a remarkable musical success story. It is virtually unprecedented for an independent self-distributed jazz-oriented act to go gold in Canada with their debut album, but that is what they achieved with their first record, Jazz/Bossa Nova.
Its title describes the pair's musical style, though it perhaps should have been in reverse order. Their sound is rooted in the Brazilian bossa nova form, a style that mixes pop and jazz and Brazilian rhythms into an irresistibly melodic sound.
Bossa nova has been increasing in popularity in recent years via such artists as Bebel Gilberto, so Bet.e and Stef's timing is excellent. Not that they're jumping on a bandwagon, as they've been working together for nearly a decade.
After a background in jazz and hard rock bands, Stef went to Paris to study jazz. That's where he fell in love with bossa nova, and, on his return to Montreal, he encountered Bet.e., who had been working in theatre, radio and modern dance. Stef introduced her to the bossa style.
"I just fell in love with it," she says. "I was bowled over by the beauty of the music, and I just immersed myself in the language, rhythm and styles. I loved the melody and the way the happy and sad co-existed all the time."
The pair then began performing in restaurants, lounges and private parties, and demand for their music grew. A self-titled cassette (recorded for just $500) came out in 1995, followed by another in 1997. These two were compiled on Jazz/Bossa Nova, with remarkable results. Sales of over 50,000 copies (mostly in Quebec) were accompanied by another 15,000 units in Japan, where it was released on Toshiba-EMI last year.
That success proved their style's universal appeal. "We sing in four different languages, and we see that the listener doesn't have to know the language to appreciate this music," notes Bet.e.
In turn, it appealed to Universal. That label couldn't ignore this success, so it signed Bet.e & Stef to a record deal (via their prestigious Verve imprint). That means their new album, Day By Day, has major label backing, and this is sure to take them to the next level. In fact, it's already close to gold status after just a month in release, and word is spreading across Canada.
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