Familiar songs, different style

Dee DeLuca brings a rich dish of musical rhythms and styles to the National Jazz Festival. Photo/Olive Holland

JAZZ vocalist Dee DeLuca was born and raised in Amsterdam and has lived and performed in international cities like London, San Francisco and New York, where she soaked up many different styles and cultures. She has been living in Tauranga for five years and is performing with her hand-picked band at the National Jazz Festival this Easter.

DeLuca has been collaborating with the renowned Auckland jazz guitarist Dixon Nacey on her latest project Back to Bossa & Beyond - they met two years ago on stage performing with Alan Brown at the National Jazz Festival.

"When I work with Dixon his versatility is boundless so I wanted to bring a very rich dish to the table to work with. Meaning selecting songs from all over the world - from different cultures, with different rhythms and styles - from Bossa Nova to Afro Blues and all kinds of areas in the world of music.

"We have let the percussive side of the band take a very important role featuring no one less that Mr Miquel Fuentes, who has been of great inspiration for many musicians since he came to New Zealand." People will be surprised hearing familiar songs in a different style like Michael Jackson in a Latin feel or a pop song in African feel.

"I love to sing music that makes me explore my own voice. Jazz dares people to be bold and do something different. You will hear some standards in a way you have never heard them before celebrating all the richness from various artists, coming from various cultures.

"So these musical pieces are also a reminder, of how enriched we are to be able to encounter so many different people, with so many different backgrounds and be inspired by them. Whether it's confronting or uplifting, it makes us richer. It saddens me to see how fear separates people.

"So this is a wonderful opportunity to remind people, as well as myself, of the true meaning of words like culture and wealth. And I truly wish to see parents bring their children to my concert, they are more than welcome. Because I cannot imagine what my life would be, had I not been inspired by real live art as a kid."

In Back to Bossa and Beyond, DeLuca and her band - Dixon Nacey, guitar, Junior Karika Turua, bass, Lance Bentley, drums, and Miguel Fuentes, percussion - deliver a musical feast flavoured with Latin jazz rhythms and percussive beats.

the fine print
What: Back to Bossa & Beyond with Dee DeLuca
Where: Baycourt X Space ¦When: Sunday, March 27, 6pm
Admission: $35 reserved seating (Jazz Society members $30). Tickets available at Baycourt and Ticketek - ticketek.co.nz or phone 0800 842 538.
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