Description

Three CDs of music from women you may not have heard of.

Faraualla: Culla E Tempesta

Faraualla is an Italian female vocal quartet from Apulia, Italy, formed in 1995. Their music is ethereal at times but also has the vocal rat-a-tat-tat sound that creates urgency and rhythm. The current members are Gabriella Schiavone, Teresa Vallarella, Maristella Schiavone and Loredana Savino, who primarily sing a mixture of European folk, and showcasing their roots in Southern Italy, with a blend of Apulia (Puglia), Corsica and Bulgaria, all brimming with the vibrancy of ancient music. They are joined on many tracks by a roster of guest percussionists. (Lisa Sahulka, in RootsWorld)

Ann O’aro – Bleu

If you’ve heard any maloya music from the Indian Ocean island of Réunion, the chances are it brings to mind a characteristic rhythm played on percussion.  Well, most of this, Ann O’aro’s third album, isn’t at all like that, even though she’s toured with Waro, and his son Bino is the percussionist in her band. Her previous album  featured a  trio of her, Bino Waro and an unusual use of trombone, played by Teddy Doris. Bleu continues with that line-up, expanding to a quartet with the electronic manipulations of new member Brice Nauroy… Bleu is an album far from the usual, far from what’s generally thought of as maloya, and indeed music that wouldn’t immediately be identified as from Réunion. For both Ann O’aro and the music of Réunion, it’s quite a step, and an interesting one. (Andrew Cronshaw, in RootsWorld)

Canzionere Grecanico Salentino – Meridiana

CGS has been credited with the revival of taranta  music in southern Italy, an ecstatic folk music steeped in the myth and mist of the power of the tarantula’s bite and the ecstatic singing and dancing meant to exorcise it’s effects.  Canzionere Grecanico Salentino have 46 years as a band behind them, now well into the second generation of the Durante family’s leadership. Formed to preserve and explore the music from their native region in the heel of Italy, they’ve helped take the pizzica and tarantella to a global audience. Meridiana is the 21st century version of the music, driven by percussion, strings and accordions,  but centered on the voices and dancing of Alessia Tondo and Silvia Perrone. The music gets to the heart of the ritual and rhythm that is taranta.

All three albums are our gift to you for a donation of $100.00