Thursday, July 22, 2010

Fratelli Mancuso ::: La stanza della musica


courtesy of survivor69
This is a challenging recording, both in its rough and ragged tone and in its mix of content. The bothers Lorenzo and Enzo Mancuso are from Sicily, but their music was sharpened by years as immigrants in England. Those years gave them exposure to many cultures from the Mediterranean, as well as a political viewpoint that subtly colors some of what you will hear on this recording. Using the devotional and folk music of Sicily as a starting point, the Mancusos merge their harsh vocal style with many varied instuments in a soundscape as arid and yet as beautiful as the island. This is almost entirely mournful music, leaning heavily on religious themes in this strange and sometimes bittersweet tribute to the power of the Virgin Mary. This is a deep, richly layered recording that requires effort and rewards you for it.
The brothers Mancuso have made a mark in Italy for their unique - sometimes lush, sometimes raw but always artful - interpretations of Sicilian folk music. All fans who enjoyed the previous album "Bella Maria" and their acting in "The Talented Mr. Ripley" an Anthony Minghella Hollywood movie, will be certainly pleased and surprised by the sophisticated beauty of this new album. The Mancuso Brothers crossed over apparently incompatible worlds in the last twenty years, trough the Sutera's ( their village) lost paths of their native Sicily to the remote suburbs of London. They learned the language of the rimembrance, like the castaway learns swimming, avoiding any distractions . They began singing professionally without actually realizing it and they are still doing it even when, left the London mists, they came back to Italy, following an ideal, essential song, crucial like a first need. After the success of "Bella Maria " the Mancuso Brothers have become cultural Icons of their native and beloved Sicily, performing in all major Theaters and Festivals, appearing in Radio and Television with their "virtuous unconsciousness", in Italy and abroad

Enzo Mancuso: vocals, guitars, hurdy gurdy, violins, saz baglama [turkish oud]
Lorenzo Mancuso: vocals, guitars, Harmonium, darabouka, thumb piano, little stones

01 Nenia
02 Signora Letizia
03 Bella Maria
04 Viene l'amore mio
05 Quante volte
06 Esci Maria
07 Useró il verbo morire solo tre volte
08 Piange Maria
09 Dormi dormi ricca gioia
10 Novena di Sutera
11 Margarita
12 Rosario dell'Immacolata
13 Si dumani ia murissi

Radio3 RAI
December 18, 2009
broadcasted again on 16 July 16, 2010

WARNING (by survivor69): this is unfortunately an incomplete recording, a couple of other tracks are probably missing
La Stanza della Musica usually runs for 55 minutes, I believe this was instead a special broadcast running something less than 90 mins, but I programmed timer to end "only" 15 mins after scheduled time. I'd be glad if someone uploaded a full recording.

FLAC

uploaded by survivor69 on Dimeadozen.org, July 18, 2010

La stanza della musica part 1
La stanza della musica part 2
La stanza della musica part 3

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Track 10 is broken.
How 'bout an mp3 rip instead?

cianfulli said...

track 10 works well on my side.
Survivor 69, as anyone else at Dime doesn't like his recordings to be distributed as mp3

Anonymous said...

what is the song title in track 10?
The program is similar to the one performed on december 2004 for "concerti del quirinale", broadcasted live by RAI3, widely shared.

cianfulli said...

it's Novena di Sutera.
Concerti del Quirinale, broadcasted on March 3, 2002, is available on this forum.
I have already uploaded it to e-mule at a lower bitrate.
both ripping and cover art are mine

Anonymous said...

Precious work, but I mean "Novena di lu Signuri", performed on dec 12 2004 and live broadcasted by Rai3. It is shared on emule (few fonts) as a single mp3 file, containing:
01 - Nti la nacuzza ci trasi lu suli
02 - L'albiru
03 - Maria di li grazzi
04 - Veni l'amuri meu
05 - Chifteli
06 - Nuvena di Sutera
07 - Dormi dormi ricca gioia
08 - Nun havia chi ci purtari
09 - U tistamentu
10 - Santi spiriti divini
11 - Quannu la madunnuzza nutricava
12 - Ti nni vai puisia
13 - Nesci nesci maria
14 - Rusariu di la 'mmaculata

cianfulli said...

if you have this recording, please share it here
Thank you