Paola Lombardo, Donata Pinti, Betti Zambruno

Paola Lombardo, Donata Pinti, Betti Zambruno So Sol d'Amarti Alla Folia FolkClub Ethnosuoni (www.folkclubethnosuoni.com) A great idea: three remarkable female voices representing (in an oversimplification) tradition, the present and the future (Donata Pinti, Betti Zambruno and Paola Lombardo, respectively). They remind us of many things: Pinti of the voices of the unknown women of the Italian countryside that first laid down those songs on the ethnomusicologist's recorder ("Mon Amant de Saint Jean" a particular favorite of her contributions to this record); Lombardo of the crystalline voices of the new traditional bands that form Italy's ethnic musical scene (try "La Bella Marianin" for a sample of her lovely voice); and finally, Zambruno of herself and all the other singers who are responsible for the more learned part of that scene (especially as heard on "Le Quattro Stagioni"). Over and over again, while this CD plays, you find yourself being taken aback by a vocal from one of them, while the music accompaniment plays a decisively supporting role. A great repertoire: well known songs cover a wide range of styles and languages, yet work well together. There are some pure diamonds in here, such as the a capella tours-de-force that are "Moran dell' Inghilterra" and "E chi sa far l'amore" where Lombardo, Pinti and Zambruno intertwine their voices, weaving a lush and rich sonar fabric. The liner notes (written by Lucilla Galeazzi and Carlo Petrini) are in Italian and English, except for the lyrics which are given untranslated, although the gist of the song is well served by the short bi-lingual text accompanying each of them. Most of the songs regard either the hard work in the field or matters of the heart from a determinedly feminist point of view. This is a record of great artistry, dominated by three exquisite singers in a vocal interplay of rare quality. Pinti provides the earthly and authentic, Lombardo offers vivacious, optimistic youthfulness and Zambruno gives us the expressive and pensive. If you are interested in the power and emotion of the human voice, this is certainly a must for you. This is an excellent opportunity to be introduced to an all-to-rare example of three voices working so well together, against each other, and on their own. - Nondas Kitsos CD available from cdRoots

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