Richmond’s Miramar releases a new single on Brooklyn’s Daptone Records.
Photo courtesy of Miramar
At first glance, Brooklyn-based Daptone Records may be an odd choice for Richmond’s bolero chanteurs of Miramar to find a new home. But when you look below the surface, it all makes sense. The independent record label, known for turning obscure deep funk singer Sharon Jones and her band, the Dap-Kings, into an internationally celebrated soul sensation, has continued to seek out new talent after their star’s death from cancer in 2016. Miramar, initially a side project of acclaimed salsa group Bio Ritmo, share Daptone’s philosophy of honest, organically produced, and, most importantly, soulful music. In March, the trio (singers Rei Alvarez and Laura Ann Singh, and pianist Marlysse Simmons) released their new vinyl single “Salida” on Daptone, recorded at the label’s own House of Soul studio in Bushwick. We talked to the group ahead of their live performance Sunday, June 16 at Richmond’s Firehouse Theatre (6:30 p.m., $20).
A miramar is a place from which you can see the ocean, but Richmond isn’t quite that. Why did you pick this name for your group?
Alvarez: I thought of the name Miramar because it evokes a place often associated with reflection, romance, and longing. These are prevalent subjects in the world of the bolero. It also has a very familiar ring, which I imagined could be a good thing for the Latino or Latina who longs for home and the way things used to be. What I mean by that is, there is a certain quality of romance in poems and song lyrics that just isn’t around anymore. (Mystery is a rare thing these days.) As for Richmond, we have the river. Although not the ocean, it still offers a place by the water for lovers, couples, and loners to find peace, a brief respite from their busy town lives.
You have a new single out on Brooklyn’s Daptone Records, is this a one-off or are you working on a new album as well?
Simmons: Right now this is just one-off, but we will see what happens over the next few months.
Who buys vinyl singles these days?
Simmons: Well, actually way more people than one might think. It’s the preferred medium for the younger generation of musicians. I feel like many folks who lived during vinyl hey day of the ’60s and ’70s probably thought it was long gone and would never come back. Many trashed, sold, or donated their collection years ago; meanwhile new vinyl record pressing plants have been popping up like crazy all over the U.S., especially in the last five years. There is a huge demand for vinyl 45s by DJs who still spin records. In Richmond there are tons of DJs spinning all vinyl sets, including our own singer, Rei (aka Rattan) who is part of a collective of DJs that spin a family-friendly early evening set at Crossroads Coffee in the south side every Tuesday evening. Big record stores are long gone, but the ones still that are still around include the ones that sell vinyl, and for Richmond that includes places like Plan 9, Steady Sounds, Deep Groove, Vinyl Conflict, Wax Moon, and I know there are a few more. Of course you can’t deny the quality of sound of wax versus digital, but also it’s just a super great feeling to actually hold a record, stare at the art work, read credits and liner notes. Also if you really love a band, it’s the best way to show support, as everyone is simply making peanuts off of streaming digital music services.
What was it like recording at the famed House of Soul, the Daptone Studios in Bushwick?
Singh: Recording at Daptone was an honor. We all got butterflies in our stomachs when we walked up to the iconic Brookyln-based label’s unassuming door. Inside it was a bit chaotic but really homey and had a great vibe. The record covers, flyers, and posters of all the Daptone legends covered the walls, including a small shrine to Sharon Jones. The studio itself was unpretentious and felt very authentic. We worked with two amazing producers and engineers, Victor Axelrod and Wayne Gordon, and with our good friend Giancarlo Luiggi sitting in the booth as well. It was a really different recording experience for all of us because we spent hours playing the songs before doing any real takes. The Daptone sound is paramount, so we tried different microphones, rearranged our positions and tweaked our approach until the producers were happy. We’ve all recorded on tape before, but probably never with anyone as skilled at capturing a vibe and eliciting all the nuance that tape offers. Watching them edit it at the end was incredible, like being in a time warp. It was exciting, exhausting, and felt like a dream come true to work with a label with such an amazing history and reputation.
Miramar will perform this Sunday at Richmond’s Firehouse Theatre. What can the audience expect?
Simmons: We are super excited for this show. The Firehouse is the coolest little theatre, with about 100 seats and nice size stage. There is nothing like it in Richmond. For the first time we’ll be doing a little pre-concert talk, a Q&A to discuss the “bolero,” as this is the genre of music from which Miramar draws. The first set starting at 7:30 p.m. will include the main band, the sextet, and for the second set we’ll be joined by the amazing Rosette String Quartet, which includes members of the Richmond Symphony. Basically the bolero is a century old genre of music that developed across countries of Latin America and Caribbean during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term is comparable to what North Americans know as ballads. It”s considered a dance rhythm, generally a dance for couples, and the music is slower to medium in tempo with lyrics that generally reflect on romance and life’s woes. The songs we’ll be performing will be a mix of originals and covers. We’ll feature music by the great Puerto Rican composer/poet/renegade Sylvia Rexach (1922-1961) who is greatly overlooked outside of Puerto Rico but on the island is a superstar legend. Our first album was titled Dedication to Sylvia Rexach and released by Brooklyn’s Barbes Records. We have a few new original songs and of course the two just released on the Daptone 45.
To get ready for Sunday night’s show, listen to “Salida” here.
