Maybe the chemistry was right—a mix of musical and performing experience, age and youth—or maybe it was the rhythmic beat of the music gods, but when Soulamente formed, band members quickly found they hit the right chord with Santa Maria audiences.
“There’s something about this band that connects with Santa Maria that I haven’t seen anywhere else, and it’s great to be a part of it,” said Mark Murray, who plays drums and percussion.
Their music spans the ’70s, ’80s, and beyond and includes dance hits from rhythm and blues, old-school funk, classic soul, Latin jazz and jazz, and the sounds of Motown. Soulamente can seamlessly take their music from KC and the Sunshine Band’s “Get Down Tonight” to “Let’s Get it Started” by Black Eyed Peas. Their set list is as extensive as their experience, and just as lively.
“We’re a cover band, but there’s a lot of room to bring our own edge,” said bass player Mike Coderre.
“Everybody brings something pretty tight to the band: Mike plays a solid tasty bass. I kind of lean on the bass playing in a way,” said drummer James Conver.
Band manager and keyboardist Angel Rivera called both Mark and James the primary drummers, because he lets each be their own musician and bring their own flair.
“When I told James, ‘You add your own thing,’ I never expected him to be Mark,” Rivera said about bringing Conver into the band.
“JR [Juanich on guitar]—he’s pretty solid,” Rivera said. “He’s not afraid to try something different. And Jineanne Columnas—I call her a sweet butterfly voice. Sometimes she can get where she needs to be, but she can go above that, too.”
Columnas has only been a part of the band since February. Somewhat younger than the rest of the group, she admitted she didn’t know some of the songs the group regularly plays—such as the early Michael Jackson songs they were practicing on a recent night. But armed with a lyrics sheet and her amazing vocal ability, she could nail every song.
Columnas coyly talked about her singing background, how she grew up singing karaoke, and how she sang with a jazz and blues band, too. Her parents pushed her to sing a lot, she said.
And the other band members reminded her to talk about the “idol thing.”
“Oh yeah, and I won this thing called Central Coast Idol in 2004,” she said modestly. After another prompting, she added, “Oh, and I also sang the national anthem at a Lakers game.”
But if Columnas is somewhat reserved, her co-singer and sax player Mike Arriola is not.
“Mike, he’s kind of like mellow and quiet, but when he goes on stage, it’s like he turns a switch on,” JR said.
Audiences got to see that switched-on side of Arriola when Soulamente played the final concert Orcutt Brew would be hosting after deciding to stop offering live music.
Arriola jumped, bounced, and gyrated with the music. Judging by the crowd, the energy was contagious.
Generating that kind of excitement, however, takes a lot of work. To keep things coordinated, Soulamente incorporates technology to communicate. Rivera e-mails songs to the other band members prior to their practice, so by the time they meet, it’s all about putting it together. When they get a request to play, Rivera quickly texts the rest of the band and knows instantly whether they’re available to accept the gig.
“It takes a lot to organize a band and make the sacrifice to be disciplined,” Murray said. “I think that’s why this band has been so successful, because Angel has taken that role.”
Soulamente plays nearly every weekend throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. The number of gigs they get is backed up by the support of their families. Rivera said his wife was actually pushing him to play, and JR and Mark met their wives when they were playing in bands, so they were fully aware of what they were getting into and remain supportive.
“I think they know how much we love it,” Murray said. “They know it’s hard, and they know it’s a sacrifice, but they know we love it.”
Audiences love them, too. They were twice voted Best Local Band in the annual Santa Maria Sun readers poll, and they’ve cultivated a loyal following.
“I call the people who repetitively come to our shows the Soulamente Family, and they know it,” Arriola said.
Arts Editor Shelly Cone uses technology to keep in touch with her family. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 20-27, 2009.