Houston Vanguard

Written on July 18, 2008 – 12:16 am | by James |

Occasionally I hear a certain type of music that could perfectly complement a nice sunny summer day with a cold glass of iced-lemonade and a slice of fresh watermelon sitting on a porch-swing looking out into the yard. Gina Chavez’s soulful voice and acoustic strummings is exactly that type of music, providing much needed refreshment in the form of Latin/Folk.

Recently, Gina performed at the local Montrose venue Boheme Cafe and Wine Bar in Houston. The Austin-native is no stranger to playing bars and small places, as she toured the many coffeeshops that adorn the Texas state capital’s streets. This experience has given Gina the ability to entertain live audiences with anything and everything, from laughable ballads to serious, eerie songs of reality.

On her album, entitled Hanging Spoons, Gina illustrates a diverse journey through her music, her voice guiding listeners among ranging songs and lyrics. Beginning with “You Might Say” Gina exhibits her finger style guitar, then transitions into more edgy, Latin songs, like “Hagios” and “Embrujo*,” which is sung entirely in Spanish and features Latin-style hand-claps. Gina then shifts to her unique blend of jazzy riffs and bluesy voice in “St. Anthony,” “Beautiful Feet*,” and “Mean as Blue*.” Her lyrics reveal a vulnerable yet joyful heart, poignant poetry that builds the album, as seen perfectly in “Brother Sun” and “Disarray.” In the end, Gina hands her listeners a silver spoon, so to speak, at the end of “Matter” with a hidden track.

However, with all of this in mind, Gina’s creative musicianship is not just to be listened on a CD or on your computer streamed from her MySpace in the privacy of your own home. Be sure to get yourself a ticket if you see her name in a line-up as her shows are always enjoyable and unique. Gina Chavez is definitely an Austin talent to be heard both live and on disc in the company of friends, heck, even on a porch-swing with a glass of lemonade, if you’d like.

For more information on Gina Chavez and her music, check out her website ginachavez.com.

- “Beautiful Feet”

- “Embrujo”

- “Mean As Blue”