Pacifika
July 21, Yoshi’s San Francisco
By Kevin Lee
I caught the Vancouver group Pacifika when they dropped into Yoshi’s San Francisco for a relaxed, intimate set on July 21. The cozy confines and friendly crowd helped spur the improvisation-friendly band, known for their sophisticated acoustic downtempo. Peruvian-born Silvana Kane, who sung mostly in Spanish, impressed with her breathy tones and guttural inflections that have drawn comparisons to chanteuses Bebel Gilberto and Shakira. Early on, the crowd bathed in the lush warmth of “Sol” and the acoustic pop of “Sweet,” where syllables took on a viscous quality, dripping out of Kane’s lips.
Performing from their new CD, Asunción (Six Degrees), Pacifika kept things loose by playing off the cuff. Through the soaring “Paloma,” the serene and tranquil “Chiquita,” the contemplative intonations from “Más y Más,” and the yearning from “Libertad,” the quartet – which includes guitarist Adam Popowitz, bassist Toby Peter, and percussionist Elliot Polsky – displayed a stylish variety of musical directions and exhibited a playfulness between tracks. While balancing acoustic, classical, and electronic guitars, Popwitz still found time to shake it to the delight of the audience.
When the crowd wooed the band back onstage for an encore, Kane coyly responded, “An encore’s a difficult thing to define.” The band followed with the unreleased “Cruces,” a vigorous and emphatic track that had the crowd nodding with pleasure. Upon its final chords, Popowitz began strumming again, while a surprised Kane took it in stride. Recalling the passing of her grandmother eight years ago (as she did on a previous track “Cuatro Hijas”), Kane launched into “Vida Lleña,” a moving tribute and the highlight of the night.