Could a Latin band named “peaceful” from Canada have the only Spanish song on the soundtrack of the hit vampire drama “True Blood?” Just ask the trio behind the sinfully seductive fusion group Pacifika, which has successfully made us thirsty for this musical sangria of captivating flamenco, pop, jazz, and even a sprinkling of rock. We don’t know if it’s Peruvian beauty Silvana Kane’s breathy vocals, bassist Toby Peter’s dance inducing beats, or Adam Popowitz’s stylish guitar work, but one play from their new album, Supermagique, and you’ll be hooked for life. Pacifika easily enchants with their sultry melodies, adding on to the sex appeal of Sookie Stackhouse and her undead lover. In time for catching up on the hit series this Halloween, we spoke with Kane to discuss the story behind Pacifika, why “True Blood” fans can’t get enough of their all-Spanish single, and what their musical journey holds for them.
nocheLatina: What’s the story behind Pacifica?
Silvana Kane: Adam and I met when we were about 14 years old and first moved to Vancouver. We began playing music back then and we started performing as a teenage band. We played music with various other people. I traveled around quite a bit, too. I came back to Vancouver a few years ago and we just picked up where we left off. We played a show one night and when we got off stage Toby had just gotten back from his tour. He also had been playing music all those years and we met him when we were about 18. It just felt very natural from there.
nocheLatina: How did your upbringing in South America impact you as an artist?
Silvana Kane: Growing up, my favorite things were always music, theater, and literature. I was raised in a very expressive South American household, which encouraged my sisters and I to perform in any way imaginable. My parents exposed us to classical music at an early age and I was really moved by South American poetry. I think that’s been ingrained in my character and I suppose that’s a big influence.
nocheLatina: You grew up hearing songs in English. However, why was it important for you to sing in your native tongue?
Silvana Kane: When we get together to write, it’s a very fluid, comfortable, and open process. In order to keep it very honest, we record our writing sessions and then listen to them. When we started writing together and thinking of melodies, a lot of my ideas were coming out in Spanish. I think that was very natural to me. If I wanted to stay true to my music, then I had to listen to that and continue the journey in that language.
nocheLatina: How do you respond to the idea of Latin artists preferring to sing in English as a way to reach out to a larger audience?
Silvana Kane: I guess it’s backed up by the fact that most people grow up believing North America is the Mecca of pop music. I can see how they would also want to be a part of that, especially if they’ve been influenced by it. If that’s the language they can relate to, then why not? Most artists, especially those at the beginning of their journeys, are thinking about how to reach out to a ton of people, even over thinking what is authentic to them. I understand that principle. I no longer feel compelled to do that, but I understand it.
nocheLatina: What are your thoughts on the song ‘Me Cai’ being selected for the ‘True Blood’ soundtrack?
Silvana Kane: Oh, I think it’s great! I know Adam is familiar with the show and he thought that was it was wonderful. Anything that enables us to continue on this musical journey and be able to facilitate the continuation of our band is a blessing.
nocheLatina: The song is in Spanish, yet ‘True Blood’ is an American series and watched by millions in the United States alone.
Silvana Kane: No kidding, I’ve never thought about it that way before. When you put it like that, I think it’s just awesome. It’s probably never been a better time to be a multicultural artist or to be a Latin artist, you know? The world is changing, and that’s a good thing.
nocheLatina: Describe the love story behind your new album.
Silvana Kane: Supermagique is not specifically a love story, though I have to say that the three of us decided to embark on a journey together and give each song as much love as possible before we let it go and moved on to the next one. Supermagique is definitely the most fun and ambitious record we’ve made. We put every little ounce of joy that we could into the songwriting process so that each part of the journey was good for all of us.
nocheLatina: How much are the stories told on Supermagique based on real-life experiences?
Silvana Kane: When we’re jamming, I close my eyes and get images in my head. Or, I feel something inside of my body and it needs to come out. This is mostly a personal record because fragments from real life are definitely embedded. As a group, we are one piece, one body of work. There’s a lot of it that’s true to us, absolutely, and a lot that is fantastical.
nocheLatina: In Pacifika’s first album there were a lot more songs sung in Spanish, whereas in the second release, audiences are introduced to more English and even French lyrics. Why go in this direction?
Silvana Kane: There was no intention. I use English and Spanish in my daily life, especially with my family, so both languages are rooted in me. We’ve been spending a lot of time in French Canada and I’ve been relating to French a lot more than I used to in the past. I love it as a language. When we were writing and I was just improvising, things would come out in French. We wanted to make the experience kind of limitless and not feel like we have to do things a particular way. We’re very interested in letting the music go wherever it wants to. It’s something we’ve never done, but we were really happy to do.
nocheLatina: How was working on Supermagique easier or more difficult than doing the first album?
Silvana Kane: Supermagique was really nice for the three of us because it’s kind of a natural evolution. We are more able to explore and learn as each experience passes by. We’ve toured and explored life a lot more now together. At the studio, it was like three chefs discovering new recipes and sharing them with each other. The end result was a feast, a celebration. I love working with Adam and Toby, they’re amazing. We’re very fortunate that our relationship has grown. I guess it can go either way, but for us it’s continuing on a really positive path.
nocheLatina: What’s next for Pacifika?
Silvana Kane: We’re going to be playing Supermagique for hopefully many people across this world. We’re excited to see where this record takes us. We continue to write on an on-going basis and play music with each other every week. Our main interest is to keep the music inside ourselves alive and be able to share it with others.
nocheLatina: Why should Latinos go and get a copy of Supermagique today?
Silvana Kane: I think because Latinos are so easily able to express passion and love, which is a really important thing to have in the world today. I believe that if Latinos are able to experience Supermagique, they will hopefully share it and keep the good vibe going.
