Mediterraneo Ostinato

Stefano Saletti & Banda Ikona are back with their mixture of ancient and contemporary, loads of modal themes, rhythms and poems tuned to the various sounds, stories and hopes of the Mediterranean peoples. Most songs are sung in Sabir, formerly the lingua franca of the Mare Nostrum ports, which becomes the soul of a possible coexistent, open-minded and hybrid Mediterranean identity. Also, they draw on the heritage of literature giants, from Calvino to Pasolini, from Matvejević to Cavafy.

The music does not rush, the core quintet produce alluring melodies and lush arrangements with the intervention of a few guests, who enhance the acoustic sound fabric of the 11 songs and one instrumental. The opening track, ‘Anima de Moundo’, is inspired by the Kurdish poet Abdulla Goran, while ‘Il Sono del Mistral’ is dedicated to a murdered Kurdish female human rights activist. The idea of dialogue and intertwining traditions is continuous, so a Sephardic dance melody is the layer for ‘Star La Louna’ while a Kurdish melody is set to ‘Boulegar’, sung in Arabic by the Palestinian singer Nabil Salameh. The skilfully arranged uptempo title-track is the manifesto for the resilient sea peoples. Elsewhere, the intimate ‘Canterrante’ features Lucilla Galeazzi’s amazing voice and Riccardo Tesi’s prestigious diatonic accordion, which also embellishes ‘Ithaki’, another standout piece on the album.