If you want the real roots of lyrical music, here’s a treat from the Mediterranean. The group Newpoli consists of Angela Rossi/voc, Carmen Marsico/voc, Roberto Cassan/fisarmonica, Fabio Pirozzolo, perc, Daniel Meyes/flute, Megum Sasaki/violin, SeanFarias/b and guest John La Barbera/mand. Together, they bring together music from when Da Vinci was done painting, the Pope just came back from Avignon and Neopolitan is the local language. There are a couple traditional instrumentals, tarantellas like the joyful “Pizzicarella,” but most of the time the material is folksy songs, with beautifully earthy, throaty and melodious vocals in either solo or harmony on “Trapanarella,” “’A Sereneta ‘e Pulecennal” or “Mamma la Rondinella”. Material ranging from the Renaissance to post Mussolini fit right together like sauces on penne fusilli. The lightheartedness, joy and fertile fragrance of the music is infectious, with melody and lyricism being given priority over all else. The harmonies of strings, voice and percussion shows that the Italians were right: music can be objectively judged, as the people of the Renaissance believed that Beauty, Truth and Craft were the standards by which art could be discerned. This music passes on all levels. Bravi ragazzi!
Beartones Records