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South American influenced duo play Char’s

Rio Samaya, aka Pancho and Sal, will bring their live show to Port Alberni Thursday, Aug. 24
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Rio Samaya Band will be performing at Char’s Landing on Thursday, Aug. 24. SUBMITTED PHOTO

With South American influences and a variety of instruments, Rio Samaya Band, will be bringing their live show to Char’s Landing on Thursday, Aug. 24.

Rio Samaya, aka Pancho and Sal, is a husband and wife duo who are based in Vancouver, but travel the world often playing music together.

While some of their songs are covers of folk, and world favorites, many of their songs are originals written by Rio Pace who plays acoustic guitar, ukulele, charango, harmonica and quena with his wife Samaya Pace who provides shaker rhythms, accordion melodies and high vocal harmonies.

“Our sound is quite unique,” said Samaya. “A lot of happy music, lots of positivity, a lot of South American influences, some folk sounds and some reggae. We really are all over the map with our sound.”

The pair sing some songs in Spanish and others in English, and at time will switch simultaneously between both.

“A lot of our originals are in Spanish but we’ve recently written three English songs,” Samaya said. “We have this unique way of translating which a lot of people really like, so we have a few songs where we’ll translate simultaneously. [Rio] will do Spanish and I’ll do English.”

Although Rio Samaya mainly play as a duo, they say that collaboration is always welcomed at shows.

“Starting as a duo, we often end up a 10 piece,” Samaya laughed. “But as a duo we can rock the place.”

The band will be playing several concerts in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island prior to the Char’s Landing show that will begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10.

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