POP MTL | Latin Night at Piccolo Rialto, Almost Hot

We were expecting a torrid night at the Piccolo Rialto, lasting until the wee hours. It was less hellish than expected. The highlight of the night was Isabella Lovestory, who is said to have just crossed the wall in New York, where she is about to be propelled even higher.

A Montrealer originally from Honduras, she plays a more hardcore reggaeton style, often played much faster, with clearly atypical sound effects despite her pop inclinations. Isabella also plays heavily on Latin kitsch, given her sexy midinette look, wiggling around the four corners of the stage.

More rap than singing, her vocal delivery is certainly fiery, but a tad muddled, disheveled, a little lost in the maelstrom. Not bad, we agree, but we’re waiting for the special effects! With a budget that matches Miss Bombshell’s ambitions, we’ll replace the inflatable animals, the Valentine’s Day balloons, and this world of softcore doggies adorning the stage, including the main person concerned. Special mention to her excellent and very creative DJ, the New Yorker Ali RQ, to be watched closely.

An hour earlier, we had arrived in the basement of the Rialto for Jashim, who shines in the Montreal underground for his reggaeton deconstructions and his Afro-Colombian non-binary stance. However, his onstage offering was more conventional than his recordings, which are completely refreshing for their originality and aplomb. Barely half an hour on stage, Jashim left stage right, after a sexy guest provided a counterpoint with her much more neutral, decidedly gender-neutral look.