Occhi Turchini: Songs from Calabria
Pino de Vittorio & Laboratorio 600/ Franco Pavan
Glossa – GCDp33002
Franco Pavan’s recent forays into the exciting world of folk / early-music with Laboratorio ‘600 are stylish and exciting. His combination of poignant programming with crisp, exacting performances show he has a finger right on the pulse of current trends in musicology. This latest album, Occhi Turchini, brings the ultra-expressive and colourful voice of Pino de Vittorio together with some fascinating research into various cultural influences on Southern Italian music; the result is a selection of traditional Calabrian songs and instrumental works full of surprises.
[...] Throughout this album I am reminded that when Alan Lomax embarked on his Italian recording project for Columbia Records he promised the broadcaster RAI that his work would inspire a folksong revival. It is heartening, therefore, to see Lomax’s recording of Veni sonne de la muntagnella cited as the source for Pino de Vittorio’s haunting performance of the same song. Yet this disc is so much more than a revival, it is a celebration of Calabrian diversity and history.
To read the full text of this article please visit www.gramophone.co.uk (September 2017)
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