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| | Reviews | | | | Yes capitan
John Shand SMH July 2007
Some people have a twinkle in their eye. Helen Rivero has one in her voice. Yes capitan, the Canberra singer’s third album, could all be a vivid dream: the sort of a dream a Romanian gypsy with Dadaist tendencies might have of performing cabaret in some dim and suitably decadent room.
Rivero has written songs in which any little boils of self-confession are soon lanced with a sharp and rather wacky wit. Similarly, the mock-drama of the swelling accordion (played by Andrew Purdam) and constantly shifting combinations of clarinet, saxophone, violin, bass, tuba, mandolin, saw, percussion and toy instruments often spear off to pastiche or broader humour.
These are capped by unexpected little shrieks, yelps, trills or whispers from Rivero’s agile and chameleonic voice. Then she can cast aside the burlesque from the presentation and the dreamy obscurity from the lyrics and slice open a tiny but telling wound of sadness or yearning.
| | | | Luminous
Tracy M. Rogers, RootsWorld 2006
"... At seventy-five minutes and counting, Luminous will never ascend to top the pop charts in the English-speaking world, but it does offer a series of non-archetypal renditions of lullabies from a plethora of cultures using Rivero's multifaceted vocals, Blake's subtle keyboards, strings and woodwinds, and echoing percussion by Peter Kennard as the backdrop.
Undoubtedly, the vocals are intended as the album's central focus, as many tracks border on a capella and very few feature the instrumentation of the whole group; quite rightly, considering Rivero is one of the few vocalists around the world who can make childlike noises at one moment and sing in a sumptuous contralto that rivals Fitzgerald and Vaughn the next. Beyond the vocals and instrumentation, the artistry and premise of Luminous transport the listener inside the dream scape of a child wherein both terror and assurance can be found in the music.
Never is this more apparent than in the album's opener, "O Tula," a Zulu lullaby that begins with those childlike noises over lightly reverberating African drums before developing a dance rhythm to match Rivero's stylish jazz vocals. Elsewhere, her take on the Yiddish "Rozinkes mit mandlen" features a slow, ominous beginning, with the voice creaking over haunting background sounds before turning jazz cool as the music becomes a mid-tempo easterrn European dance tune. In these two songs, a pattern emerges. Each song seems to be a dream journey, an escape into the human psyche that encompasses both terror and sadness as well as the soothing elements of the lullabies.
As the collection winds down, the cacophony of vocal and instrumental sounds changes, all unified by interludes led by the voice. The Creole "La rivyer Tanier" features torch vocals, in the beginning a small soprano, as if a child is singing to us, then turning to a vibrant, sweeping alto to represent the adult. "Flicker," by contrast, is an ominous cello-driven song with soaring vocals to convey first sadness then anger over a frenetic beat.
The final three tracks are both forboding and soothing. The Italian "Fi la nanae mi bel fiol" is a cacophony of almost incoherent computerized whispers, while "Suo gan," a Welch chantey, is a torch ballad with soft piano and jazz vocals. The album's closer "Om Tare" is a Tibetan chant, sung a capella by Rivero, her voice conveying sadness and respite.
Luminous is a multilingual collection of traditional lullabies turned inside out to tell the story from the child dreamer's perspective."
| | | | Mark D Moss. Sing Out!
"... Rivero is a singer who is nothing if not unique. She uses her voice as a supple musical instrument, effortlessly darting from the lyric to vocalese and sound effects, painting a striking, often haunting, series of mini-paintings from each of the cultures represented here. Blake is an instrumental master, providing a broad range of sensitively played arrangements for these pieces with an arsenal of woodwinds, keyboards and strings. Peter Kennard (percussion) and Julian Thompson (cello) fill out the ensemble.
The excellent production (Blake and Rivero) is pure and clean, very reminiscent of Blake’s production work on Andrew Cronshaw’s award winning release Ochre from last year. It is a joy just to listen to the sound of this recording, with each vocal and instrument cleanly presented with a "whole" sound … open and clear.
The material seems to be a mixture of traditional and composed music from, literally, all over the world. It’s both a tribute to the artistry of the duo that the material works together and that each piece stands up independently of the whole. I wish there was more background about the material provided. In the end, though, this is music that stands on its own. I don’t want to mistakenly make it seem like this is any kind of folkloric work, but if you’re open to a cool jazzy take on tradition from true musical masters, this is a beautiful recording well worth the effort to find."
| | | | Jaslyn Hall, Limelight 2006
"The centrepiece of this album is Helen Rivero's voice. Her vocal control is amazing and, coupled with a rich tone and strong interpretative power, it makes Luminous compelling listening. Ian Blake compliments her voice with an instrumental soundscape filled with equally complex textures and delicate solos. Like most original work, Luminous is a challenge to describe but very easy to listen to. The CD is a collection of 17 lullabies from around the world, and Rivero and Blake have done extensive research with songs sung in Zulu, Italian, Welsh, Yiddish, Greek and Icelandic to name a few.
But this description only tells half the story. Each lullaby is given a quirky, original arrangement using word play, vocal acrobatics, woodwinds, percussion, keyboard and strings to create songs that sometimes shimmer as in dreams or quiver on the threshold of excitement. Much of Luminous is exceptionally enjoyable and the duo must be great to see live in concert.
This is music with a triple purpose. First, it's a celebration of this Australian duo's musical friendship. Second, it draws the listener to the wealth of music from around the world. Finally, it forces you to look outside your preconceived notions of music genres - not a bad thing for musicians and listeners alike. Luminous allows us considerable breathing space to dream for a bright and peaceful future."
| | | | fRoots
"A selection of lullabies and night music from around the world could be a big yawn, but this selection is packed with interesting arrangements, junkyard percussion and found sounds, all linked by Rivero's expressive vocals and Blake's
multi-instrumental ability. If anything, it's almost too eclectic in one dose, but it is equally fascinating and charming." | | | | Paul Petran, Music Deli, ABC Radio National.
"... they've treated the material in a way that is totally refreshing. The music is confident, engaging and has a wonderful element of surprise. The arrangements are completely supportive of Helen Rivero's singing. It's a fine new CD from these two talented musicians."
| | | | John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald 2005
"Ever wondered how the way the Norwegians send their children to sleep differs from that of the Zulus? Or perhaps the Welsh from the Russians? Helen Rivero and Ian Blake have scoured the world for these lullabies, then charmingly personalised the treatment of them.
They deftly bring all possibilities to life, from the swaying rhythm and sing-song melody of the Zulu O Tula to the edginess of the Yiddish Rozinkes mit mandlen. Rivero is able to cross styles and moods to bewitching effect, while Blake colours the dreams with woodwinds and keyboards, supported by percussionist Peter Kennard.
One of the most interesting aspects of this music is the confirmation of how sleep is perceived as a magic state across the cultures – and not just because it means the kids are at last quiet.
Sleep is also a potentially scary enchantment for a child, filled with fantastical creatures and dark horrors, so it is hardly surprising that some of the music and lyrics are as grotesque and disquieting as others are soothing."
| | | | Jennifer Gall, ArtLook 2005
"This is an album for total immersion listening. Forget new millennium ambience: push Luminous into the CD player and recapture the old century when there was time to turn out all the lights lie on the floor and become the music. Space and silence have equal value with sounds and melody in this recording and the listener will discover that attention is rewarded by the unusual subtleties of quirky sounds which lurk at the "ends" and "beginnings" of each track a cat purring, a blackbird singing, the thousand tongues of summer raindrops, the texture of one's darkest dreams and strangest longings. But it's not all blackness. There is humour in 'Le chat à Jeannette/Cola' and sunshine across stretching plains in 'O Tula'.
The collaboration showcases Rivero's ability to create a cast of theatrical characters through her vocals and Blake's particular gifts as musical arranger and multi-instrumentalist. It is a voyage exploring the night music of many countries, and cultures as diverse as Finnish, Russian, Icelandic, Yiddish, Micmac and Sephardic.
Features of the music are the imaginative use of percussion and computerised soundscapes. This is an intriguing auditory voyage through musical dreams and fairytales that capture the fancy and keep the listener on edge through the more sinister sound explorations. In the last two tracks the reassuring sweetness of Helen's vocals on 'Suo Gân' guide the boat of night wandering across the ripples of Blake's piano towards the embracing infinity of the final Tibetan mantra 'Om Tare'."
| | | | RIVERO
Spanish, Sephardic and Original Songs
Jan Forbes, indie-cds.com 2005
"Earthy and mysterious, this CD entitled "Spanish, Sephardic and Original Songs", begins with the elongated tones of the clarinet played by Rob Maxwell Jones, followed by the rich deep voice of Helen Rivero. As the other instruments come in the tempo picks up to a slow sensuous gypsy dance, complete with tambourine, bells, Spanish guitar and piano accordion.
This CD, by an ensemble called Rivero, is a blend of old and new, traditional Sephardic music of the Spanish Jews and Moorish Andalusian songs along with original ballads composed and sung by Helen Rivero. The new ballads are entirely consistent with the traditional songs and it¹s possible to tell the difference only by referring to the cover notes. The Spanish guitar playing by Ann Lehman and the Mediterranean sounding piano-accordion played by Ross Maio, help to make this a quality CD that is a pleasure to play over and over again.
This is the first of three CDs by Helen Rivero and was released in 2001 with assistance from the ACT government, at which time Helen was winner of the Folk award in the 2001 Musicoz Challenge for her song 'Wooden Table', which features on track 7 of the CD. Helen Rivero tells us on the detailed and well-designed cover notes with sensuous fig motif, that she seeks to share the rich oral traditions from her immigrant background in a spirit of personal expression rather than scholarly presentation. Scholarly it is though, and the recording has received regular air play on ABC FM and Radio National since its release. The cover notes contain the words of all the songs, along with the English translation where appropriate.
This CD would be appreciated by anyone who loves Spanish instrumentals and the female voice singing traditional ballads with a slow sensuous Mediterranean flavour." | | | | Tim Øsleby, Ethnobass, 2002
 | | "… Spanish music and sephardic music. But now and then some Anglo-Celtic elements from Australia turns up. Her voice is warm and rich. The acoustic arrangements are done with good taste. String instruments, piano accordion, and the clarinet are the main instrumentation.
The songs point in many directions. But as we already have suggested, it is done with good taste. Most of the melodies are in a melancholic, slightly longing mood. A longing for something distant, a distant country or a distant love.
RIVERO is a very convincing debut. Her voice could make her a new world star." |
| | | | Lake Times, September 26, 2001
"Helen Rivero puts a lot of passion into her performance with the Rivero Band" | | | | DIASPORA World Beat 2001
"The songs composed by Helen are simply superb ... warmly in sinuous and natural, covering themes that bear Gaelic, Spanish, North African and Jewish overtones and moods that range from joy to heart-felt contemplation.
Helen sings beautifully on all selections with hauntingly dulcet tones made more pointed by the fact that Helen knows how to use her voice to tell a story even on the selections where you may not understand the language.
The sympathetic interplay between the musicians reflects the varied cultural sources in such a convincing manner that questions of authenticity and so-called purity become simply meaningless."
| | | | Louise Hogg (member of the audience).
"I came & saw your performance at the Side-On-Cafe recently. I thought it was absolutely magical."
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email Helen: helen@helenrivero.com | | |
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