As part of the Latin American Alternative Music Fest on Saturday, the organizers had an unannounced surprise for us. One of the most popular Spanish bands in the world, the duo Amaral.
Amaral are singer Eva Amaral and guitarist Juan Aguirre, and they are the 10,000 Maniacs of a different time and a different place.
For their four song mini-set, Eva sang her lungs out like a modern day folkie, and I just mentioned 10,000 Maniacs, and Eva comes across like a more together Natalie merchant some of the time, an early Michael Stipe the rest of the time.
The set is a brisk but powerful push forward with Juan playing an excellent harp and as often as not riffs as notes. Eva has something on her mind but I can't say what. A quick look at some of the titles (the songs are in Spanish) might help: "Without You I'm Nothing", "I Would Die For You" and "I Need You" -incidentally, 3 of the first 4 songs on their biggest album.