Critics have taken note:

Téka Blends Guitar Skills withHer Velvety Vocals: “…Start with the fact that she is a fine guitarist with a velvety sounding voice then add an innate musicality that touched every aspect of her performance. … Like João Gilberto, she brought everything into a unified expression, combining her vocal lines and rhythmic guitar accompaniments into a distinct buoyant musical blend.” Los Angeles Times by Don Heckman

Live Brazilian Music: Teka at Vibrato Grill Jazz…etc. “The smooth sounds of the Brazilian born singer-guitarist and her New Bossa Band filled the air of Herb Alpert’s cozy and elegantly appointed club in Bel Air. Téka is sensational. Her set list offered a wide variety of Brazilian jazz with songs sung in both Portuguese and English. Téka’s arrangements and adaptations are uniquely her own and her voice and the band synced up the way every band hopes for.” The International Review of Music by James Defrances
Live Music: Teka and The New Bossa Trio at The Gardenia Restaurant and Lounge… “The sensually hypnotic mood was set from the first note on Téka’s acoustic guitar. Her right hand comping was delicate and on par with a master jazz guitarist. Her rich vocal vibrato and tender yet powerful phrasing brought to mind some of the great instrumentalists in jazz history. Hearing Téka’s voice, I wondered how much better Stan Getz would have played if he had lived to hear her. Téka’s ability to alter melodies and arrangements to fit her Bossa style was jaw dropping.” The International review of Music by Devon Wendell

Téka - So Many Stars (Blue in Green) CD Review “Lovers of the classic bossa nova style should be aware of Téka. The Southern California-based singer has a very warm and quietly expressive voice and is also a fine guitarist. She is heard in top form throughout So Many Stars, her new CD release in a few years. … Téka excels in the intimate settings. She sounds wonderful singing such numbers as “You stepped out of A dream,” “Speak low,” “The look of love” and “Skylark.” On “The waters of March” and “’S wonderful,” she is joined by her 16-year old daughter Luana Psaros who blends in well and displays a similar tone in her voice as her mother. So Many Stars is an easy recording to enjoy, particularly by those who love romantic bossa nova albums.” L.A. Jazz Scene by Scott Yanow

Brazilian Songstress: “…Center stage, without making a point of it, Téka showed herself to be in possession of a warm and wonderful voice, refreshingly understated but also confident in its assertions. In addition to a set list of Brazilian tunes, she also served up a slow, sumptuous version of “And I love her” that closed the gap between Beatles-esque and Rio-esque. She lays out melodies and nuances at an unhurried pace. The material is often deceptively simple, swerving to unexpected harmonic places. A good Brazilian vocalist makes eccentricities (by state standards) sounds perfectly natural, and excites interest by virtue of both technical grace and subtle improvisatory derring-do. Téka does that and more.” The Independent by Josef Woodard

“Téka and Páris provided an engaging sound with a delightful blend of percussion twists. Singing mostly in Portuguese, Téka’s enunciation was exquisite; even those unfamiliar
with the language could make out every word. Her incisive rhythm guitar; bassist Páris’ fluid, tactful lines; the ferociously cooperative groove from percussion and drums; and harmonies from a pair of flutes combined to form an ideal backup for her sensual vocals. This group is taking Brazilian music to a new level; they are clearly one of Boston’s best and brightest.” Rhythm Music Monthly by Kyle Russell and Will Rapp

Téka shines with So Many Stars CD Review: “… Santa Barbara’s beloved Brazilian chanteuse has created a wonderful new album, So Many Stars which shines a brilliant light, showcasing her many talents. Téka not only plays guitar on the album, she also sings in English, Portuguese and Spanish, all with equal fluidity. Her silken voice is in its prime, perfect in pitch, filled with a range of lustrous emotion, full of bright contrasting with an equally fragile and delicate quality that is stunning…” The Sounds of Santa Barbara by Sally Barr

What’s shaking? Téka, world - class Brazilian Vocalist/Guitarist: “Everything she does sounds so easy and comfortably centered, even though much of it is actually very difficult in terms of chops and focus. For example, the extraordinary guitar playing with which she accompanies her vocals and the easy control she exerts over her beautifully textured, lyrical voice. Her intonation is right on and her time is impeccable; she swings gently and it feels exhilarating to the listener.” L.A. Jazz Scene by Stanley Naftaly

Luis Muñoz: Voz “It is, of course, a stroke of genius that Luis Muñoz should have chosen Magos Herrera, Téka Penteriche and Claudia Acuña and a heavenly host of other backing vocalists to realize his music. Indeed, the leading ladies deliver an almost surreal ride through which brilliant images and visions emerge. Throughout the vocal masterpieces visceral scenes are offset against an ethereal quest for musical redemption. Listen to “Manantial”, “Argentina” and “Quisiera” and you are sure to be mesmerized by the volley of declamation and rich illusion over the short and long space in music time that Luis Muñoz, all this in contrasting tableaux of ever-surprising emotional impact. The vocalists deliver in ways that will leave the listener gasping. All in all, this is one of the most desirable vocal albums I have had the pleasure to listen to.” Latin Jazz Network by Raul da Gama

Three women in Jazz at Santa Barbara Victoria Hall: “…Téka, concentrating on music of her native Brazil, was simply put, awesome. Having a naturally vivacious stage presence, she had an easy way of evoking the inherent beauty of the samba, handling its irresistible rhythmic flow with style and grace and inflecting its song’s poetic lyrics with just the right nuances, whether performed in English or Portuguese. A well-rounded, polished musician, Téka demonstrates that she is equally adept as a guitarist as she is a singer”. L.A. Jazz Scene by Russell Arthur Roberts

Santa Barbara’s Brazilian Ambassador: “Brazilian singer-guitarist Téka is one of Santa Barbara’s luminous musical citizens.” Santa Barbara News Press by Josef Woodard

Enthusiastic Symphony Impresses on Bossa Nova Night: “I’ve figured it out. The Long Beach Symphony POPS! Concerts always feature great music and a festive atmosphere. But the difference between the first concert and the other night’s event at the Arena was the energy of the people onstage. It’s called talent. Start with the conductor. This one was a bubbly force of nature named Matt Catingub. In his extemporaneous and blessedly brief spoken remarks, he radiated an enthusiasm for the music (this was Brazil night) and an easy professionalism that were infectious. Guest artist Téka Penteriche has the ideal voice for this stuff, a sultry, smoky mezzo that wraps itself around “Desafinado” and “So Many Stars” and doesn’t let go. She, Mike Shapiro, Jorge and few hand percussionists did a magical job with Antonio Carlos Jobim’s classic “Waters of March.” Gazzettes by Jim Ruggirello

Hearing Voices: “Voz” by Luis Muñoz “Voz is his most personal project yet, one that often finds him reaching back to his Central American roots for inspiration. Quisiera is a collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Jaime Gamboa, a founding member of the great Costa Rican band Malpais. A lament for lost love, the song features a double dose of soul with vocals by São Paulo-raised, Southern California-based Téka Penteriche and Chile’s Claudia Acuña, a longtime force on the New York scene.” The California Report by Andrew Gilbert

New CD Review: Luis Muňoz “Voz” (Pelin Music) “Costa Rican composer Luis Muñoz is one of the most vibrant and dedicated Latin Jazz artist on the scene today, His new album Voz is an obvious labor of love which fused Brazilian Jazz and “crossover” pop. But there’s a refreshing purity about Voz. Muñoz is joined by special guests: Claudia Acuña, Téka Penteriche and Magos Herrera on vocals. “Manantial” features the incomparable Téka, one of the most original vocalist/guitarists to come out of Brazil in many years. She is featured in both lead and backing vocals. Her breathy sensual vocals glide beautifully atop of Ron Kalina’s chromatic harmonica lines. No one sounds like Téka. Luis Muñoz’ Voz is a beautifully pure album of some romantically dark and sincere Latin jazz at its best. Muñoz plays more of a background role, letting fantastic artists like Téka, Claudia Acuña and Magos Herrera shine on this carefully crafted masterpiece” The International Review of Music by Devon Wendell

 

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