Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Forecast: Black Typhoon on the Horizon

Black Typhoon (黒い台風) - Xandra Corpora ft. Tomo Shaga


If music fans in Japan didn’t know better, they might think the only acts in existence here are the various Johnny’s, AKB48 and not much else. However when venturing beyond the glut of programming the aforementioned acts receive ad nauseam, waiting to be unearthed is a veritable treasure trove of talent -- artists, both native and foreign. The only requirements to enjoy them are open ears -- and open hearts.

New Country, New Chapter
After stepping down from San Francisco, Calif.-based funk & soul powerhouse Con Brio more than two years ago, vocalist/guitarist Xandra Corpora, 30, went on sabbatical, with the past year+ seeing her residing in the obscure enclave of Komaki-shi, Japan (Aiichi Prefecture.) Even though the soulful singer had sunk into an abyss that led to a self-imposed musical moratorium, fortunately Corpora hadn’t hung up her axe forever. Instead, like any passionate musician of her stripe, an instinctive gravitation led her back to the music, where discovered soon thereafter were the many loose, informal jams to be found within the robust live music scene in nearby Nagoya.
Xandra up close and personal.
“I am in love with everyone."
“I was in a place of darkness and great uncertainty about my life. I was tired and uninspired, so much so that I had stopped playing music,” Corpora revealed. “Japan called to me for reasons I can't explain. I met musicians and artists in Nagoya that changed my life, re-awakening my identity as a musician. I'm indebted to them for the kindness and artistic support they've shown me.”
After the re-stoke, Xandra also felt she had something to prove in the way of producing and releasing her own original material, soundscapes beyond Con Brio. So the statuesque songstress recently entered the recording studio to give life to her debut sonic manifestation, to superb results.

Disappearing Act
Xandra’s seemingly sudden resignation from Con Brio came as hugely disappointing news to the act’s multitudes of fans in the San Francisco Bay Area and nationwide -- some of whom remained in denial long after the announcement -- but what stings most is her exit became needlessly acrimonious, resulting in two album’s worth of her contributions being purged from the web. Vanished. Gone. Poof. Not a clip of streaming audio to be found.
The reluctant star, in the spotlight
Curiously, the unofficial reason given for scrubbing the ‘net clean of Xandra-era Con Brio was because the group “didn’t want to confuse anybody” with regards to who was fronting the band going forward. Corpora’s successor, the immensely talented and charismatic Ziek McCarter -- a strong presence out front, possessing his own distinct identity -- is a frontman who more than holds his own in helping steer the souped-up Con Brio cruise ship forward. Replacing Corpora wasn’t a gig that just anyone could have stepped into; McCarter has admirably filled some big shoes as Xandra’s powerful pipes and towering presence commanded a great deal of attention, and rightfully so. However, it’s a bit of a reach to suggest anybody would ever confuse the two performers. Bands aren’t any different than romantic relationships. Unfortunately often times they too end on a sour note or personnel parts ways, hearts and souls living and dying within its construct. Con Brio v. 1.0 with the unmistakable Xandra Corpora were a sight and sound to behold, something truly special. But that’s all prologue to the storm to come.

Don’t Call It A Comeback
Musicians typically hone their craft in dank basements and open-mic nights. So it is borderline surreal to consider that Con Brio -- by all accounts a technically proficient and considerably sophisticated outfit with chops ahoy -- was Xandra’s first band. Talk about hitting the proverbial ground running. Now fast forward to the present day. While Corpora is eager to compose and record her own original solo material, she is in no particular hurry to release a full-length album or even an EP. Conversely, she is taking a relaxed, gradual approach, focusing on one song at a time. 
“I just want to dedicate my full time and attention to each song and give them the execution they deserve.” Corpora said. “Hence this approach.”
Con Brio drummer Andrew Laubacher and Corpora
A Higher Calling
An unexpected and quite meaningful development occurred three months after arriving in Japan which saw Xandra back in the US for a month. Quite fortunately, the Lone Pine, Calif. native is a rare match for a New York teen who was desperately in need of a bone marrow transplant (the procedure later augmented to become a stem cell transplant.) The earnest donor Corpora learned recently that her sojourn to NYC was a success as the recipient has fully recovered from the procedure and thriving.
  
“Doing It For The Art”
When her one-year anniversary in Japan came up, Xandra, an English teacher by day, decided that she wanted to remain here and eagerly re-upped for an additional year. With much of the mainstream music business and the culture surrounding it defining itself by colossal cribs and ostentatious bling-encrusted excess, it’s refreshing to be around a top-shelf individual like Xandra Corpora, who is basically the gal next door -- that is, if your neighbor was blessed with the voice of a megastar.
“I am not doing this to be famous; I am doing this for the art,” said Corpora, who is currently un-signed and consequently on the hook for studio costs. “Music is why I have a [day] job.”