Reviews July 1, 2021
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino Supercharges Italian Mystic Music
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino lies a little outside the Afropop Worldwide wheelhouse, but their new album Meridiana (Sundial), recorded during the pandemic lockdown, is a knockout. This band adapts, modernizes and funkifies pizzica music, part of the southern Italian tarantella tradition, which involves drum-powered healing rituals that likely do have African origins. That's probably why producer, composer and desert blues guitarist Justin Adams became so entranced by CGS. Adams has been collaborating and performing with the band and in duo settings with percussionist Mauro Durante. That work culminated in this remarkable album, which Adams produced.
Just out this week is a new CGS video from the album for the song "Balla Nina."
