Criola -- Criola Winter Songbook

 

I've had this on the back burner for quite a while. To not put too fine a point on it, it's been over a year since Scott's "Holly Jolly X'masu" podcast had covered it back in September 2021. However, I'm making amends today by covering some of this album.

YouTube

As both Scott and the website Fond/Sound have stated, there is very little information on the band Criola. In fact, almost all of my information on the band came from those two sources. From what I could gather, Criola was this 90s eclectic pop/jazz outfit that recruited young musicians from the Japanese reggae world to create this distinct sound that is slightly synthy and jazzy in equal parts with an underlayer of Latin.

Scott mentions who was in the band on his podcast but two of the names that stood out to me are leader Pianica Maeda (yup, he plays a pianica) and vocalist Cat Miki who was once a part of the rock/funk group Men's 5. Criola released three albums of which I will be looking at the first three tracks for their 1992 release "Criola Winter Songbook". By the way, as with Scott, I also love the cover with that old-timey photograph of ice dancing. It reminds of me how the New Music band Sugar Babe came up with the cover of their one-and-only album.

Fond/Sound also has a YouTube channel which put up the album tracks. In fact, here is the first song which is Criola's rendition of the old chestnut "Frosty the Snowman". Led by Maeda's jazzy pianica, the underlying rhythm is some catchy samba/bossa nova with snappy percussion.

Track 2 is "Gee Whiz, It's Christmas" is a cover of Carla Thomas' 1963 single with that snappy Memphis soul. Cat Miki sings it in a more languid indies pop style (although it has that bossa guitar) with mostly Japanese lyrics. I feel that this could be the theme song for the scene of quiet and solitude on Xmas Day in the early afternoon, just before all of the family and friends descend upon the house in jolly cacophony. The turkey and pie are baking away quite nicely, thank you very much. 😋

The first original song for "Criola Winter Songbook" is "Christmas Song" as Track 3, and once again, Cat Miki provides some soothing vocals for a bossa-led tune, although Maeda comes in again with his pianica. Interestingly enough, the composer and lyricist happen to be the same person, Haruo Chikada（近田春夫）, someone who was also into the eclectic stuff back in the 1970s.

Incidentally, Criola also covers the classic Xmas standard "The Christmas Song" by Mel Torme on the album. I've loved the versions by Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis (I've already listened to the latter cover this year on my old LP). Below is the entire album which is where I could find the song at 22:36 as Track 6. Pianica Maeda leads here for a more introspective version. Anyways, have a listen to the rest of "Criola Winter Songbook" below or go to Scott's podcast for the additional commentary.