Les Soirées Blues de Carlos Veiga
by Barbara Lavoie
Carlos Veiga really knows how to throw a party. A feast of music for the audience and a Blues family get-together for musicians, the Soirée Blues on Monday, November 12th, 2001 at Le Lion D'Or was outstanding.
He humbly says both events were organized by "calling up a few of his friends." His first, held July 9th and billed as the All-Star Montréal Soirée Blues, was a CD production fund-raiser.
Veiga is a dynamic performer. Off-stage, you meet a quiet, soft-spoken, gentle-man. On-stage, Veiga becomes an ardent enthusiastic guitarist and vocalist determined to share with his audience the pleasure music gives him. The intensity of his performance is unforgettable.
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, but living in Canada for the last 20 years, Veiga, 30, says he "picked up his first guitar when he was 17 and didn't really get serious about music until five years ago." He describes himself as "passionate rock n'roller," and pays tribute to the influence of Elvis, Jimmy Vaugan, Jimmy Hendrix and many more.
Closer to home, Veiga acknowledges his professional mentor and close friend, Paul Deslauriers. He explained, "Paul taught me how to relate to my musical energy." For the last two years, Veiga has worked the bars and clubs of the Québec Blues circuit performing with Deslauriers when they were both in Montréal. Deslauriers, a seasoned performer, recently joined Québec's, Garou, to tour internationally as his lead guitarist.
With the pre-production studio work finished on his première CD, Veiga is now pulling together the financial backing for its release. The recording, he promises, has "a few surprises" along with "lots of rock, blues and underground."
At November's Soirée Blues, Veiga performed with band members, Gilbert Joanis (bass), Michel Chalse (B3 organ), Greg Faulkner (sax) and Jean-François Lauzon (drums). Blues family members who appeared with him included: Jim Zeller, Bruno Dumont; Carl Tremblay; Robert Dethier; Richard Chartrand (Mr. Blue Steel); Kenny Dupree; and, duke.
Also on the bill that night were: the crowd-pleasing, Joe Hell (guitar, vocals) and his Red Roosters, Stephane Lapierre (bass) and Martin Laporte (drums) and Rosekill, Lili Sweet (vocals), Roger Myer (guitar), Johnny Lee (bass) and flipper (drums), a young energetic rockabilly band.
Let's hope Carlos Veiga calls up a few of his friends again very soon. He can be reached at carlos_veiga_blues@hotmail.com.
Copyright © Barbara Lavoie, 2002