Probably nothing too dire can be blamed on the bossa nova, except perhaps the unfortunate overdose of mediocre versions of its most famous representative, The Girl from Ipanema. Bossa's "magic spell," if the words of the Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil song are to be believed, is responsible merely for romance. And its sensual, stream-of-consciousness lyrics and musical accessibility continue to attract musicians today. A recent case in point: the Montreal duo, Bet.e and Stef.
Bossa nova inspired their decade-long musical endeavour, which began at that most appropriate of bossa nova locales, a wedding. Stef, in his mid-20s, had returned from four years of studying music in Paris, where he'd fallen in love with the lilting sounds of Joao Gilberto and other bossa innovators. Back home he became friends with Bet.e. She had a background in psychology, theatre and communications -- and wanted to be a singer. Stef introduced her to bossa. She loved the music too. Then one of her sisters asked them to play on her big day. After the sister's wedding they gradually eased into life as a professional duo, building a devoted following, primarily in Quebec.
As independents they achieved some remarkable success. They spent about $2,500 to record two cassettes, later released as the CD, Jazz/Bossa Nova, which sold 50,000 copies -- going gold, in record-industry parlance. Opening for acts such as jazz singer Holly Cole introduced them to a broader audience, but it wasn't until Universal Music Group Canada signed them in September, 2002, that there was a realistic possibility of ongoing national exposure. Universal released their second CD, Day by Day, in October, 2002. By December it too had gone gold.
Speaking by phone recently from Montreal -- on the eve of a tour that kicked off yesterday in Winnipeg -- the duo possesses a focused intensity, obviously aware of the magnitude of their recent career developments. Not surprising, given they spent 10 years peddling their music themselves.
"We've gone from a dozen people involved, to a staff of 500. It's like being powered by a turbo rocket," Bet.e says.
Stef thinks the change affects Bet.e the most. "Eighty per cent of her time was consumed by administration. Now she has more time for music."
Bet.e demurs, saying, "For me the business never goes away, you still have to stay on top of it."
For an instant they sound like stereotypical old marrieds, his version amended by hers. But theirs is a musical partnership, and when asked about its nature they simultaneously say, "It's hard to describe," then laugh, and precede to describe it in detail.
"We complete each other, I think," Stef says, outlining their complementary skills. Bet.e's business side, his musical production strengths. Their ability to be honest and critical. Their efforts to understand each other, to constantly readapt.
"It's like driving. You have to have your eyes open. You can blink, but you have to keep looking," Bet.e says.
This awareness seems to have translated to their music. Day by Day is a unified, pop-imbued blend of bossa nova standards and originals, the latter sung in English. The music is untroubled, serene; Bet.e and Stef's voices limpid pools into which no startling stones are cast. It's impossible not to conjecture that their music could easily slip hand in the velvet glove of so-called "adult music," a vague category currently being pitched to the 45-plus set, including the likes of singers Norah Jones and Diana Krall.
But Bet.e bridles somewhat at talk of potential radio formats and audiences. She speaks instead of her conviction in their music, how they always knew that people "ready to hear what we're putting forth," would respond. Comments such as these reinforce a sense that Bet.e and Stef, like the music of bossa nova itself, prefer a hint of mystery and innuendo. Both performers guard their actual names, for instance. The copy-editor-defying "Bet.e" (pronounced Betty) was the result of "a moment of inspiration," she says. And the cover of Day by Day is a sensual but startlingly out-of-focus image of the two dancing and playing guitar on a beach.
That a beach was chosen as backdrop is no puzzle at all though, given bossa nova's origins in the nightclubs neighbouring Rio de Janeiro's famed Copacabana Beach. Bet.e and Stef saw Brazil for the first time in January, when they travelled to Rio to shoot a video for Day by Day. They were there for only 10 days, but long enough to declare the city "amazing," and perform for the likes of Eduardo Souto Neto, arranger to famed Brazilian singers Chico Buarque and Virginia Rodriguez.
Bet.e, who is studying Portuguese (the language of bossa nova), at the University of Quebec at Montreal, and Stef, who is picking up the language primarily through singing, seem aware that some might view them as an oddity. But so far Brazilians who have approached them have "been thrilled and flattered we take so much interest in the music and the culture," Bet.e says.
After all, bossa nova translates into English as "new fashion," something it really hasn't been for some time. Clearly Bet.e and Stef intend it should be so, once again. Bet.e and Stef perform in Calgary tonight, Vancouver tomorrow, Toronto on Thursday and Friday and Ottawa on March 14.