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INUVIK
Celtic-Latin music duo The Compadres will bring their passionate sounds to the Igloo Church for their last performance before the holiday season.

Celtic-Latin music duo The Compadres, featuring Oscar Lopez, left, and James Keelaghan, will play a show in Inuvik next Tuesday at the Igloo Church. Independently the two have both won Junos and together they play a passionate mixture of music. - photo courtesy of The Compadres

Alberta-based Juno winners James Keelaghan and Oscar Lopez are travelling to Inuvik next Tuesday as part of the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) performance season. Keelaghan, a folk singer-songwriter, and Lopez, a Latin, blues and jazz acoustic guitarist, met in the early 90s and have collaborated on their "Celtino" blend of music ever since.

One of the first Compadres shows took place in Inuvik in the early 90s and both artists said they look forward to returning. NACC will also take them to Hay River and Yellowknife.

"James Keelaghan is described as Canada's finest singer-songwriter and Oscar Lopez has a reputation for his fire-brand guitar," said Ben Nind, executive director of NACC. "It's been a long time since we've seen them in the North and it will be an early Christmas present for everyone."

Both Keelaghan and Lopez have successful careers with separate bands, and started out playing the same clubs in Calgary on different nights. It wasn't until a flight to the Sudbury Northern Lights Folk Festival that the two met and they've been blending their music style together ever since.

They've recorded two albums under the Compadres name and received a Juno-nomination for Best Roots and Traditional Album in 2008 for the second disc, Buddy, Where You Been? The Inuvik show will feature a mix of songs from both albums, as well as a few Christmas songs to get everyone into the holiday mood.

Mixing the Celtic-folk style with Latin-flair sounds odd on paper, but both Keelaghan and Lopez ask the potential audience in Inuvik to come, listen and enjoy the music. Similar rhythms and a tendency towards romance means blending the two styles isn't that difficult.

"I think it springs from the fact that we're really good friends and the music springs from friends and out of passionate intensity," Keelaghan said. "We try and explain it and verbally it's almost impossible to sum up, but it's an exciting, cross-cultural experience."

Both Keelaghan and Lopez will sing, while Lopez takes lead guitar as Keelaghan acts as the rhythm section. The songs vary from high-powered songs to slower, romantic ones, to strictly instrumental or even ballad-like tunes.

"They should expect the unexpected. We play music for the heart and soul," Lopez said. "We're spontaneous. All performances should be transparent. We are entertainers and people will be entertained."

Keelaghan said because the two musicians are friends it makes the music easier to make and their styles to blend. As friends, they can anticipate where the other musician will take the song and collaboration simply just works out.

"I'll start with a chord progression and we'll start riffing and then lyrics are needed, what language do we want, Spanish or English or half and half," Keelaghan explained. "I'll get this thing and we're running off with it."

Lopez thinks something else is the cause of their music.

"When the magic is there, there's no need to figure it out. You have to just accept it," Lopez said. "We create respect for each other and respect for what we do on and off the stage."

Next Tuesday's show in Inuvik starts at 7:30 p.m.

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