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Written by Alicia Tan
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Page 1 of 2 Dubbed the "Sunshine Twins", Soler
- the band who hails from Macau - is undoubtedly a burst of sunshine
in the music industry's otherwise stagnant affair. It's no surprise
that the duo brought the sun back up, after the torrential rain on the day
of their showcase at Bugis Junction.
 Their origins are uncommon enough,
but the members of Soler themselves are equally unique. In a world where
cookie-cutter artistes are commonplace, Soler takes the XEROX copy effect
to a whole new level: Soler, in fact, is made up of twin brothers Julio
and Dino Acconci.
Born and bred in Macau but of Italian-Burmese heritage,
the Acconci twins left, when they were teens, for Italy to pursue their
studies. Along the way, their gift for music surfaced and, pressed by
their friends (this is where peer pressure becomes positive), Julio
and Dino formed Soler.
Plagued with difficulties at the start
of their musical career, the Acconci brothers decided to start their
own production company, K-Town, in order to produce the music that they
wanted their listeners to hear. It's evident from the interview that
Soler takes great pride in their music, and each song is penned with
an effort to not only cater to the fans, but also to uphold their artistic
vision.
While you might not have heard of Soler
until now, the band has seen considerable success in Hong Kong and Taiwan,
gathering a sizable fanbase. Their song "Ma Ma Zai Jian/Hey Ma"
was even picked to be the theme song for the Chinese movie "The Little
Pianist".
With their refreshing vocals and effortless
harmonies, it's puzzling why the band hasn't taken off in Singapore
yet - radio stations should pay more attention to acts such as Soler,
who provides a different but much needed style of music to balance the
typical fare we always hear.
However, it's evident that Singaporeans do look
past good looks and pay attention to good music, as HOOKED discovered
when a few of Soler's fans were interviewed.
The girls, having gotten into Soler's
music a few months ago, after listening to their songs on the radio,
admire the band for their talent, and their song writing abilities,
which they felt was original and inspirational.
 In spite of that, their Singapore fan base did seem small,
with only a handful turning up for the autograph session and showcase
at Bugis Junction, though the heavy rain might have been the main
deterrent.
When Soler arrived on stage, their musical ability and amiable
personalities shone through and drew an even bigger crowd. Soler power
was evidently at work, with the Sunshine Twins chasing the clouds away.
[Check out their live performance here!]
Of course, if you're looking forward
to see Soler again, or meet them for the first time, you won't be
disappointed. The band has signed onto local music company Funkie Monkies,
and has assured HOOKED that we'll be seeing more of them in the future.
For a band that has seen success in
a relatively short period of time, Soler remains down-to-earth
and family oriented, as HOOKED discovered in the interview with them.
The two men were relaxed and ever friendly,
answering the media's questions readily - no reticent stars here!
When asked how we can differentiate one twin from the other, Julio (older
by 90 minutes) cheerfully described how he keeps a goatee, while Dino
(the younger brother) usually shaves.
Still, HOOKED has to admit that
with or without stubble, the two dashing young men are two peas in a
pod.
Conducted in both English and Mandarin,
Julio and Dino showed HOOKED that it was no surprise that they were
fluent in seven languages (Spanish, Portuguese and French amongst others),
seamlessly switching between the two during the interview. How's that
for motivation in improving our own language abilities!
Of course, it
was evident that the Acconci twins were slightly more comfortable in
using English. Their brotherly affection for each other could also be
seen in the way Julio took a back seat in the interview, allowing his
younger brother to speak up more for the band.
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