Newpoli, Mediterraneo
Newpoli is based in Greater
Boston, where it has won numerous accolades, but there’s a reason why this band
has been nominated for traditional music awards in Italy. This is high-octane
Italian music that blurs the line between folk, pop, and classical. On Mediterraneo, their new album, they tear
down a few more barriers. Newpoli specializes in southern taranta music—lively 6/8 dance tunes—popular in Naples and Sicily.
Naples has long been a busy port city where cultures meet and blend. You’ll
hear this all over the album. Na Voce Sola, for instance, has swirling, rhythmic grooves and Romani-like vocal and
melody lines. Appropriately for a themed album on migration, So’ emigrant is an album highlight, a
dramatic track with North African influences. Listen well and you’ll pick out
some Turkish affinity. The classical training of several ensemble members is
evident in the title track and elsewhere, including its mélange of instruments.
Tempos are often set by hand drums and an Italian guitar called the chittara battente, a cross between a
bouzouki and a Baroque guitar. You’ll also hear violin, viola, and numerous
blown instruments—from bagpipes and recorders to handheld ocarinas. And let’s
not overlook the grace, power, and energy of vocalists Carmen Marsico and Angela
Rossi, who are just one co-conspirator short of making them an Italian version
of Vartinna. My favorite track is Pizzicadegli Ucci, a piece that will make you want to garland the donkey, decorate
the cart, and dance until you drop. At nearly ten-minutes in length, it’s very
likely you will give out before the band.
★★★★★
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