Melodic Moise

Music has the unique ability to unite people of all backgrounds and cultures while striking their inner chords and helping make the world go round a bit more smoothly to blissful beats. Everywhere you go, people are humming and singing their favorite tunes regardless of whether or not they speak the language of the song.

If you embark on a journey, you’ll find that at any destination, music has the ability to fuse people together and get the good vibes rolling.

One seasoned musician who has the knack for bringing global music to Manila and the gift for transporting people to exotic destinations in a snap is a true citizen of the world himself. He combines different types of world music, customizing it into a class of its own, and provides extra global appeal.

Moise, a lovely French-Moroccan singer and keyboardist, sings in French, Portuguese (he sounds like he comes directly from Rio), Spanish and English, blending global beats into his own distinctive musical delights. Lucky for us, Moise has made his home on our shores with his wife, interior designer Cynthia Almario of the highly regarded Atelier Almario. The creative energy in their home must overflow between the two of them. Moise credits Cynthia and her mother as being his No. 1 fans, proof that music and love stand alongside each other.

Moise blends bossa nova, samba, Latin and reggae music, which makes his musical style hard to classify. His intense passion for music produces a distinct flair that has a very international approach. If I were to encapsulate it, I would put it under “international rhythmic beach beats,” if there was such a category. It’s the perfect companion to any kind of party, from chill sunset cocktails to lounging around, from lively brunches to fun dinner parties.

Moise’s music has enormous reach. It’s been played all over the world for a broad range of audiences. You’d be hard pressed to find a man who has accomplished this much without any formal musical training as a singer. Drawing inspiration from Stevie Wonder, Michael Franks, Al Jarreau and Tania Maria, Moise has played a line- up that is as international as his musical heroes. From Los Angeles to Las Vegas, from Paris to Morocco, from Mauritius to Manila, Moise has had gigs galore — he has been the front act for Brazilian sensation Sergio Mendes and has played at the Chanel prêt-a-porter show in Macau. He’s even played for charity and corporate events, high-profile weddings and birthdays, and on television and radio. The wide scope of audiences he has played for includes President Gloria Arroyo, style icon Isabel Preysler, and even the Queen of England with the Royal Family at the Royal Windsor Cup in England.

On a particular gig in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Moise found himself aching for the beach — his adopted country’s very own Boracay. Inspired by its crystal-clear aqua waters and pristine white-sand beaches, he created an album out of his love for our tropical isle. His intense dislike for the snow and bitter cold resulted in a magical song about the island he had left behind. Other songs soon followed, triggering the birth of his debut album.

The most amazing thing about the album “Boracay” is the fact that all the vocals are done by Moise. He exhibits his broad range of vocal talent, modulating sounds as he tweaks his voice to make it deeper and mildly husky in some portions and higher at other notes. It’s incredible to see him showcase the scope of his voice, which he has trained over time by singing in different languages, in different musical categories. This album is loaded with surprises as each song unfolds. One can recognize the original covers, but Moise composes them in different arrangements, lending old favorites a new spin.

While musicians were brought in for the first three songs, all of the remaining musical instruments are played by Moise, including the keyboard, bongo, horns, drum rolls and percussion. 

Moise sings Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World in Portuguese, in a melody that is sure to win anyone over. The enchanting song, La Mer, is a lovely French soulful classic that’s currently being played on the radio waves. Another one he sings in French is Strangers in the Night (Etrangers dans la Nuit.) In Viver E Riviver, he mixes French, Portuguese and English, blowing listeners away with the many languages he can so effortlessly sing in. For the song A Felicidade, he adds the Arabic flute to the melody, paying tribute to his childhood in Morocco. Lovely Day comes across as a reggae version and feels like a slice of Jamaica has landed in your lap. La Vie en Rose has its own introduction taken from the bridge of the original composition while the reincarnation of the song itself is a mix of drums and piano, extremely soothing and simple to enjoy. The Bossa Nova Medley on this album is composed of French favorites, starting off slowly and then gains momentum.

The clear winner on the album is the song he wrote, Boracay, an original track revealing his passion for the island and for music as a whole. It presents itself in another song, Samba in Bora, the finale of the album, bringing the collection full circle. If you listen closely, he plays the Philippine national anthem with a music box in this last number, giving it a super special touch.

Though this timeless album is sung in the different languages of romance and has a mélange of various beats, they are connected and come together. Moise creates a story throughout the album, tying it all up as it closes with infused beats from the first songs.

I’ve uploaded Moise’s versatile album on my iPod and now I’m all geared up for my trips to the beach this summer. What I’m really pining for is a trip to Boracay to soak in the beauty and inspiration behind the album.

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“Boracay” by Moise is now available at major music stores.