Album Review:
– General Description: FANTASTIC, exotic to your typical Western ear with distant-sounding male voice singing in the style of pizzica bands (a type of tarantella) from Salento, Italy; the musicianship and rhythmic motives are top-notch, enthralling and exceedingly sexy
– Musicians: Antonio Castrignanò is an Italian who is well-known as a Pizzica musician, composer for films, and vocalist
– Notes: instruments include tamburreddhu (frame drum), tapan and darbuka drums; kemane, mandola, and mandoloncello (strings); ciaramella (double reed)
– FCC Compliant: YES
– Recommended Tracks: all, but 2 and 8 especially
– Track Reviews:
1. (5:34 ) Core Meu (My Heart) - exotic violin and male voice singing in the gypsy style of pizzica
2. *****(4:41) Fomenta (Foment) - spirited; amazingly fast vocals
3. ***(4:39) Funtana Gitana (Gypsy Fountain) - animated with elephant-like horns circus-style; great vocals, makes you wants to dance and tell wild stories
4. (4:27) Sciamune (Let's Go) - medium-fast; more middle-of-the-road sounding compared to the previous 3 tracks
5. (3:31) Nu Me Lassare (Don't Leave Me) - more middle-of-the-road sounding compared to the previous 4 tracks
6. ***(5:59) Pizzica Di Uccio (Uccio's Pizzica) - medium-fast and dignified; a straight recitative song at first with the instruments shining through & then unique frog-use of the voice for effect and a multi-tiered chorus
7. (4:40) Li Culuri De La Terra (The Colors Of The Land) - quick walking tempo moving to vivace; smooth faraway singing and then a pizzica dance
8. *****(4:09) La Ciuccia Nera (The Black She-Ass) - slow to fast; oompah as only the Italians can do it, really fun
9. ***(3:55) Stornelli (Starlings) - very fast; The Godfather on speed