Jazz Articles about Siora

Siora: Vis-a-Vis

by Dan McClenaghan
October 11, 2004

On Vis-a-Vis the group Siora pushes the concept of “world music" hard with an offering of eleven tunes sung in seven different languages by vocalist Phyllis Chapell in front of Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and Middle Eastern rhythms.The set kicks off in Portugese, on “Nacoa," a smooth rhythmic flow aided by Ralph Bowen's flute, with interludes of Chapell's mellifluous scatting with added yips, hoots and chirps. She proves herself an exuberant and uninhibited vocalist. Somebody blows a whistle in there, ...