The overriding resonance of Ponción de Fe can only be described as dynamic. The seven-piece band consists of Jed Potts on lead guitar, Tom Pickles on saxophone, Tom Wilkinson on bass, and Matthew Hawke on trombone, with drums and percussion being covered by Davide Rinaldi and Simon Gibb respectively. Leading the band with superb vocals is the daring Felipe Schrieberg, a half-Colombian, half-Luxembourgian with great command over his audience. Exhibiting no lack of energy, Schrieberg makes the perfect frontrunner and face of an accomplished band in a night topped with hot Latin zest.
Ablaze with passion, but delicate when demanded of them, Poción de Fe are incandescent.
As this is a live music event, the tables are moved back to create more room for dancing on the floor. It's appropriate, as almost everyone gets on their feet dancing to Poción de Fe’s captivating Cuban salsa and African mamba. And to top it off, the musical talents on stage are complemented by the cocktail-making talents behind the bar. Muy bueno!
Poción de Fe hark back to Santana’s Supernatural days with every refrain whispering some memory of a Latin past. That devilish trombone slide and that luminous right handed improvisation drive home the funky, Latin feel. That hot jungle music is a pleasantry amongst an ocean of tired, used-up acts trying desperately to become unique. But Poción de Fe don’t do that. They are a refreshing change from mediocre acts in offering music that is engaging, evocative and above all entertaining.
They are not simply limited to music though: using a plodding tempo to reflect the lament of the lower classes, lead singer Schrieberg lends his voice to a political song about the current state of British austerity. Another, more nostalgic number, recalls Schrieberg’s life in Colombia. Rinaldi’s drum solo offers a dramatic breakthrough to the show just as it risks becoming stale.
Their closer was a powerful number that, without overstating itself, manages to pull off an authentic and memorable samba jive. Schrieberg’s charismatic stage presence blends the raw talent on stage with a night driven by sexy rhythms. The tequila hits the spot; the music touches the soul. Ablaze with passion, but delicate when demanded of them, Poción de Fe are incandescent.
