Medinsud
Forrest Hill Records, Italy
The connections between southern Italian music and Arabic music have long been explored by artists in Italy, with varying degrees of success. Cantediscanto seem to have found a successful approach. They are adventurously exploring the musical relationship between the open voiced singing of the Catholic tammurriate of Neopolitan tradition, and the Islamic muezzìn. As always, there may be some thin historical connections between the two, but the real purpose of Medinsud is an artistic one. The band is a diverse grouping of oud, guitars, reeds, percussion and bass (with some frequent guests on accordion, percussion and a brief visit from la Banda Roncati), but the voice is the thing, with guest vocal work by Faisal Taher, who contributes the Arabic muezzìn style, in close alliance with or in stark counterpoint to Italian singers Guido Sodo and Silvia Testoni. It comes together brilliantly. - CF