Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Of all cultural fusions, the merging of Arabs and Italians may be one of the more intriguing. Sicily has long been a melting
pot, with Greek and Romans first visiting, followed by a wave of Arabs and Normans, the latter taking hold of various cities in
the 9th century before moving into the capital. The Normans booted them from power in the middle of the 11th century,
though that does not mean Arab culture left no traces, or people. Milagro Acustico is one consequence of this merging,
exploring classical Arabian music in the context of their homeland. Hence you find the Italian organetto, an accordion-type
instrument used in religious procession, as well as the lira calabra, which looks something like the Indian sarangi, merging
effortlessly with the more traditional Middle Eastern ney, daf, riqq and duduk. As a whole it's impossible to discern where
Italy ends and Arabia begins, which is the point --this is a fusion over a millennia in the making, and sounds right at home.
The playing of these instruments, not to mention the exquisite vocals that occasionally appear, is first-rate. Upon first listen it
appears to be a percussive- and woodwind-based collection of Arabian music, but the subtle shades of the aforementioned
instruments, as well as the clarinet and viola, add a different dimension. A truly unique disc with an impressive roster of
players.
DB
JAM (Italy)
"Si precisa e affina la ricerca musicale dei Milagro Acustico, dopo le delicate avventure sonore dei Poeti Arabi di
Sicilia. Il nucleo generatore, qui, sono poesie, racconti, resoconti di viaggio degli arabi che si trovarono nell'Isola di
Federico tra l'827 ed il 1091, in pratica una sorta di "secondo capitolo" dei Poeti , a ribadire l'urgenza storica e
culturale di un "recupero della memoria" fondamentale in epoca di grandi e mirate operazioni di oblio sul portato
culturale "dell'altro". Al solito Bob Salmieri (impegnato in baglama, tambur, sax soprano, e diverse altre ance
etniche, soprattutto di origine araba) lavora per sottrazione, mai saturando la polpa sonora di questa delicatissima
sottrazione.' la danza di un ragno sulla sua ragnatela, Siqiliah , un intarsio strumentale e vocale che lascia suonare
anche il silenzio: "Quanti poeti, letterati, matematici, quanti Ibn Hamdis saranno finiti nelle reti dei pescatori di
Lampedusa o di Mazara?"
El trabajo de calidad de Milagro Acustico, de la mano de Bob Salmieri, ha sido el de inspirarse en versos y cuentos de
peregrinos de origen árabe que transitaron Sicilia entre el 800 y el 1000 de la era cristiana, rescatando así del frágil papel
de pergamino a poetas y matemáticos de Medio Oriente.
Esos pensadores vuelven hoy para esparcir el perfume de sus lejanos jardines sobre la arena de nuestro desierto cultural, a
través de la refinada musicalidad de un acústico milagro!. Este tipo de trabajo sólo puede llevarse a cabo a través de una
extensa investigación histórica, apoyada en una firme intuición musical, y con una mirada sobre los pueblos más enfocada
en su riqueza permeable que como identidades cerradas.
Para Bob Salmieri ir a fuentes tan profundas significó honrar la memoria: la de su padre tunisino, y la de un historiador que
muchos reconocen como “unico e un po’ folle” (“único, y un poco loco”), Michele Amari (1806-1889), luchador de la causa
de la independencia de Sicilia y de la confederación de los estados italianos.
Para algunos de nosotros “bucear tan hondo” es reabrir ese periodo del siglo 19 llamado Il Risorgimento, que para muchos
otros, en realidad, nunca se cerró. Es La Causa del Sur de Italia, la causa meridionale.
Con su música cuenta la irreconciliable diversidad histórica representada por un Sur atrapado entre tradición, pobreza y
religiosidad.
El ayer y el hoy son una sola historia musical en Milagro Acustico, que captura en “I Storie ó Café Di Lu Furestiero”, las
voces de la migración que llegó hace un milenio a las playas sicilianas
Este grupo le pone musicalidad de lamento y celebración a la diaria conciencia de hombres, mujeres, jóvenes, viejos,
cristianos y musulmanes, maleantes, exiliados o mendigos que se sientan en un café al paso, llevando en las dunas de sus
oscuros ojos, la sed de vivir en justicia, y el horror de morir sin lograrla.
Milagro Acústico intenta abrir también nuestros oídos y ojos a las voces náufragas, que en nuestro milenio provienen de
África del Norte y del litoral Balcánico,.
Sicilia, tierra de “infinitos éxodos”, como dice Bob.
Su último trabajo, “SIQILIAH, terra d'Islam", está nuevamente inspirado en aquellos poemas y cuentos de viaje de nobles y
mercantes árabes, que comenzaron a cruzar la Sicilia medieval durante la dominación Islámica en el Mediterráneo. Versos
que languidecen en la lejanía del ser amado, paisajes desolados que queman el alma del que llega, vidas que arden en las
calles ansiando las frescas paredes de otros, vidas aprisionadas detrás de las sombras de una ventana ansiando la luz . A
través de la voz de Patrizia Nasini y de excelentes músicos, representantes de la instrumentación de Oriente y Occidente,
esa multitud de voces vuelven hoy a cantar sus deseos de siempre.
CLAUDIA T. ACUÑA
LA REPUBBLICA (Italy)
"Appena arrivato a Favignana, isola del quale è originario, pare che Bob Salmieri si sia rivolto all' ufficio anagrafe e richiesto
l' atto di nascita del padre. Voleva conservarlo. Ha trovato anche quello del nonno. «Perché le radici sono infinite - mi dice -
e il viaggio al contrario riserva sorprese». Bob Salmieri, sassofonista romano, è il testimone di un miracolo molto terreno,
compone musica e testi dei "Milagro acustico", un' ensemble che traspone in musica delle poesie dei poeti arabi vissuti in
Sicilia durante la dominazione Islamica e usa la strumentazione acustica tipica della tradizione mediterranea. Bob e i Milagro
contano su un passato di autoproduzione e di prodigiose scoperte da parte della critica statunitense, e soprattutto sulla
continua ricerca nel periodo più fiorente della Sicilia medievale, tanto che sul medesimo argomento hanno già pubblicato
con l' etichetta Compagnia Nuove Indye i cd "Poeti arabi di Sicilia" e "I Storie O Cafè' di lu Furestiero Novo". Con l' ultimo
lavoro, "Siqiliah, terra d' Islam" (sempre per Compagnia Nuove Indye) - che è stato ufficialmente presentato al pubblico a
Roma durante il ConTesti Festival al Teatro Orangerie - si intrecciano i racconti di viaggio dei mercanti arabi che
attraversarono la Sicilia durante la dominazione Normanna. I Milagro Acustico riportano alla luce le pagine meno note della
Sicilia islamica, alla ricerca delle radici comuni che hanno reso nei secoli l' Isola esempio di tolleranza e convivenza tra
diverse culture e religioni. Lirismo, musica e racconti di viaggio dell' epoca, si mescolano in s uggestive sonorità dal forte
sapore orientale, Fanno da eco le poesie dei poeti arabi vissuti in Sicilia durante la dominazione islamica che ne raccontano
lo splendore, il tutto supportato dalla vasta pletora di strumenti musicali della tradizione Mediterranea usati dai musicisti
come Baglama, Ney, Tambur, Daf, Darbuka, Chitarra. «Fonte delle nostre ricerche è stato in primo luogo Michele Amari che
ha dedicato tutta la vita alla compilazione della "Storia dei Musulmani in Sicilia" e della "Biblioteca Arabo-Sicula", che ci ha
introdotto nel mondo prezioso dei poeti arabi come Ibn-Hamdis, Al Qatta, Abd Al Rahman di Trapani e dei viaggiatori come
Ibn Hawaqal, Ibn Gubayr, destinato all' oblio senza la sua dedizione», dice Bob, che insieme ai Milagro è promotore del
progetto in itinere "Sicilia mediterranea project", un collettivo artistico che raccoglie intorno a sé le varie anime della nuova
scuola siciliana attiva sul territorio nazionale e del panorama musicale e culturale del bacino mediterraneo. Nasce con l a
finalità di diffondere la cultura mediterranea in tutte le sue forme. Monitorare le nuove realtà artistiche, e promuoverle."
Daniela Gambino
La Voce di tutti
Il periodo di massimo splendore dell’espansione araba in Europa si ebbe nei secoli IX-XI, Al-Andalus, la Spagna,
con i fasti del califfato di Cordova, e la Sicilia, con Balarm (Palermo), “la più vasta ed eccelsa metropoli del mondo”,
come la definiva Edrisi, geografo arabo. Soprattutto in Trinacria, sotto la dinastia fatimida, si ebbe un lungo periodo
di saggia amministrazione, dove alla razionale ristrutturazione del territorio (piante urbane, opere idrauliche,
nonché il famoso “giardino arabo”), faceva da controcanto una generale tolleranza religiosa. L’Islam, pur avendo
un ruolo dominante, non opprimeva cristiani ed ebrei ed i tre monoteismi convivevano in pace, quali manifestazioni
del comune ceppo abramitico. Poi ci fu la conquista normanna, le comunità arabe si dispersero, parte emigrò in
Africa, parte venne deportata da Federico II a Lucera, ed iniziò la diaspora, la nostalgia di un’età dell’oro isolana
cantata da poeti come Ibn-Hamdis ed altri.
Ed è proprio a questa nostalgia che si ispira il gruppo Milagro Acustico, che da anni compie una raffinata ricerca
sul campo, avendo come punto di riferimento Michele Amari, con i suoi fondamentali Storia dei Musulmani di Sicilia
e soprattutto Biblioteca Arabo-Sicula. Qui, nella sterminata raccolta di testi e documenti, i Milagro hanno fatto
preziose scoperte, musicandole poi in modo del tutto particolare, con una suggestiva fusione di sonorità arabe e
più propriamente occidentali. Il risultato è un robusto e brillante “sound” mediterraneo che ha entusiasmato il
pubblico de La Palma, al Portonaccio, locale ben noto agli amanti di musica di qualità, con frequenti escursioni
nella musica etnica. E questa dei Milagro lo è, ma con un sapore in più, come si può dedurre da alcuni loro lavori
quali Rubaiyyat (le famose “quartine” di Omar Khayyam), Poeti arabi di Sicilia, o Siqiliah, cd di prossima
pubblicazione del quale sono stati eseguiti alcuni brani. E il sapore in più è quel gusto di indagine filologica,
ritrovare il sentimento di un’epoca e reinterpretarlo con una sensibilità certamente diversa ma molto attenta, poiché
si tratta di una cosa preziosa. Ed ecco i vari brani, dove l’incedere fra lento e solenne, tipico delle melopee arabe,
stempera in sonorità più solari, così che ne scaturisce un misto di sensazioni. Le immagini del muezzin e del
caravanserraglio si alternano e si fondono con quelle di paesaggi urbani a noi più familiari, in virtù anche della
strumentazione, dove trovi insieme sax e darbuka, contrabbasso e ney, violino e tar ed altro ancora in un suono di
fusione che dà poi il senso ultimo dello spettacolo. L’incontro, lo scambio e il dialogo fra culture, importante in
questa confusa fase storica segnata dai fondamentalismi (non solo islamici), un messaggio che traspare
chiaramente dal vigore melodico dei Milagro. E voglio nominarli tutti perché lo meritano.
Patrizia Nasini, voce (i testi originali arabi tradotti in un siciliano un po’ arcaico, grazie anche ad Antonio Vignera),
Bob Salmieri, baglama, sax soprano, clarinetto, percussioni, Andrea Pullone, baglama, chitarra classica, Andrea
Piccioni, daf, darbuka, riqq, tamburello, canto armonico, Maurizio Perrone, contrabbasso, Carlo Cossu, viola,
violino, canto armonico, Gabriele Gagliarini, percussioni, Naima, danza orientale, più, in qualità di ospiti, Volkan
Gucer, kaval, clarinetto, Abdalla Mohamed, ney, darbuka, Pejman Tadayon, tar, setar, Raffaele Mallozzi, lira
calabrese, organetto, Antonio Vignera, voce, Diane, danza orientale tribale. Locale stracolmo, successo meritato.
Antonio Mazza
I STORIE O CAFE’ DI LU FURESTIERO NOVO (CNI Music 2006)
www.bielle.org
Si sono formati a Roma nel 1995 ed hanno alle spalle, un autoprodotto ("Onirico del '98), due album "americani" (tra
cui la prima edizione di questo) e ora due album per la Compagnia Nuove Indye. Quarto album ufficiale, prende lo
spunto da un libro di Bob Salmieri, anima del gruppo, su un viaggio a Tunisi, città in cui è nato suo padre, da una
famiglia di Favignana. Il tema è sempre quello, a me caro, della convivenza e compenetrazioni tra popoli e culture, il
tema del viaggio, il caffé come luogo centrale in cui si mescolano le esistenze degli autoctoni e dei forestieri. E' un
disco sulla lunga scia delle opere che hanno come lontanissimo progentitore "Creuza de ma" ed è disco di
ammaliante magia e sentori arabi, miscelati con venti balcanici e solo mediterraneo, grazie anche all'azione della
trentina di strumenti adoperati da questo ensemble numerosissimo a cui si aggiungono quattro musicisti turchi,
registrati in apposite session a Istanbul, oltre a voci della strada che vengono da Egitto, Colombia, Bangladesh e
Filippine. Ottimo lavoro.
Cronaca di Cremona
La Compagnia Nuove Indye produce in due anni due cd dei Milagro Acustico: l’anno scorso “Poeti Arabi di Sicilia”
e ora “I Storie o Cafè di lu Forestiero Novo”. Scelta importante e del tutto condivisibile, volta a sottolineare
l’importanza di un ensemble musicale di grande qualità tecnica e di notevole spessore culturale.
Il cd del 2005 è centrato, come indicato dal titolo, su alcuni testi dei poeti arabi nati e vissuti in Sicilia durante la
dominazione islamica, tra l’827 e il 1091, anno in cui il controllo politico passa a ai normanni. Le poesie sono state
tradotte direttamente in siciliano con la collaborazione di Daniela Gambino e di Sharifa Hadj Sadok. Il nuovo cd è
centrato su una analoga idea di fondo di dialogo interculturale tra la Sicilia e i paesi del Mediterraneo, che ha come
riferimento ideale questa volta, un cafè di Favignana dove stranieri, emigranti, immigrati, pellegrini e viaggiatori si
incontrano e si raccontano le loro storie, magari accompagnandosi con la musica. In entrambi i dischi prende vita
un progetto aperto che vede incrociarsi tradizioni siciliane, arabe, balcaniche, turche e di altre parti del mondo, in
un impasto tra i più riusciti negli ultimi anni. Impasto di voci e di suoni acustico ( ad eccezione di un basso
elettrico) che vedono un gruppo numeroso con un nucleo costituito da Bob Salmieri (baglama, percussioni, fiati),
Gianfranco Dezi (tromba e flicorno), Piero Piciucco (contrabbasso e mandolino), Andrea Pullone (chitarra),
Francesco Con saga (fiati), Dario Esposito (batteria), Andrea Alberti (piano) e arricchito da varie collaborazioni
come Abballa Mohamed (Ney, darbuka), Pachi Kalipada Adhikary (tabla), Nour Ed dine (percussioni), Jamal
Ouassini (violino), Volkan Gucer (kaval) e tanti altri che non citiamo per questioni di spazio. E ovviamente la
bravissima Daniela Barra, la cui voce entra nel cuore e costituisce il filo rosso di questo ricco e variegato progetto.
“I Storie o Cafè” è la riedizione modificata e ampliata di un omonimo cd pubblicato nel 2002 negli Stati Uniti e si
ispira all’omonimo libro di Bob Salmieri. Un viaggio musicale da cui non si vorrebbe più tornare.
Gianluca Barbieri
http://maximum.vox.com
In 2002, when Tinder records released the album “I Storie O Café Di Lu Furestiero,” it immediately became one of my
favorite World Fusion albums. Four years later a new version of this album was released by the Italian CNI Music label, this
time around marketed as “I Storie O Café Di Lu Furestiero Novo.” It is not just a simple re-release of the album, but rather a
new take on the same material featuring two new tracks in addition to slightly updated favorites from the 2002 release.
Ultimately, this is the same 2002 vintage, but this time around it is a little more complex, a little more mature, and with a few
nuances that make the album more complete than its predecessor.
The concept behind this album is the sound of an imaginary Sicilian café where immigrants from across the Mediterranean
gather to converse, sing, have a cup of espresso, or maybe even a glass or two of wine. Track after track Milagro Acustico
invites us to eavesdrop on various visitors of the café, providing us with bits of foreign speech and intermixed sounds of
instruments from various Mediterranean cultures, poised against the backdrop of Daniela Barra's beautiful vocals, which
provide a surreal dream-like atmosphere for the whole album.
The music of “I Storie O Café Di Lu Furestiero” is the ultimate immigrant music – though it’s impossible to pin point the exact
origin of each individual song, some particular elements can be easily traced to Turkey, Morocco, Andalusia, Persia, and of
course Sicily. For many centuries Sicily has been the crossroads of the Mediterranean. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks,
Romans, Arabs, and even Vikings called this land home at some point of its turbulent history. Taking that into consideration,
it’s hard to imagine a place that could provide a better locale for the “Foreigner Café.”
“I Storie O Café Di Lu Furestiero Novo” is filled with seemingly nostalgic lamentations, so typical for immigrant music in
general, interjected with happy memories of various homelands, ethnic instrumentals and otherworldly vocals, all of which
create a truly beautiful setting for an occasional jazzy note or foreign spoken word monologue. The overall mood created by
Milagro Acustico's godfather Bob Salmieri, could be described as dreamlike. Though I definitely would not call this meditation
music, I find it extremely difficult whilst listening to this album to not close my eyes and imagine myself amidst the Café di lu
Furestiero, letting the music be my guide through the melting pot of sounds, smells, and visuals, through the dreamscape
created by Milagro Acustico and so skillfully captured in “I Storie O Café Di Lu Furestiero Novo.”
Maximum Warp
Agrituristi
"Un Cafè immaginario, su una piccola isola della Sicilia, accoglie le storie dei viandanti che qui si fermano il tempo
di riprendere fiato prima di proseguire il viaggio. Questo il tema del disco dei Milagro Acustico. Il disco ospita
numerosi musicisti italiani e internazionali che hanno collaborato alla realizzazione del disco che è stato registrato
a Roma e a Istanbul con alcuni musicisti locali. Il Caffè è il luogo dove le culture in viaggio si incontrano e si
confrontano. Così avviene per la musica di questo disco. Sonorità in viaggio quelle proposte, che trovano gli aromi,
le contaminazioni, i sapori delle diverse terre che si affacciano sul Mediterraneo."
Gaetano Menna
FOLKER! (Germany)
"Mille anni fa gli Arabi regnavano sulla Sicilia – fino alla riconquista cristiana per mano dei Normanni. In una notte il
loro leader, il conte Ruggero D’Altavilla distrusse 200 moschee solo a Palermo. Ma come sempre in questi casi, il
dominatore non riuscì a farepiazza pulita della alta cultura dei sottomessi e dei loro scritti.Il quarto album
dell’ensemble “Milagro Acustico” guarda indietro alla poesia dei poeti arabi, che vissero in Sicilia a quel
tempo.“Poeti arabi di Sicilia” è fin'ora l’album più maturo del gruppo. Dove prima veniva talvolta orchestrato in
maniera opulenta, vengono qui impiegati strumenti (Kanun, Ney, e altri flauti, sassofono e percussioni) in maniera
dosata ma potente. Il canto poi, unito al dialetto siciliano e alla lingua araba riporta in vita la magia del testo.Il
modo in cui le voci femminili e Fabio dell’Armi interpretano il brano di flamenco “Schiavu d’amuri” , è
ineguagliabile e vale da solo l’acquisto del CD. Chi ama i suoni arabo andalusi in stile “Abed Azrié” o “Radio
Tariffa” rimarrà stregato da questo gioiello arabo- siciliano.”
Martin Steiner
FOLKER! (Germany)
Vor tausend Jahren herrschten die Araber über Sizilien - bis zur christlichen Rückeroberung durch die Normannen. In einer
Nacht soll ihr Anführer, Graf Ruggero d’Altavilla, allein in Palermo über zweihundert Moscheen geschleift haben. Wie immer
bei solchen Übergriffen schafften es die Angreifer nicht, die Hochkultur der Unterlegenen mit all ihren Schriften vollständig
aus dem Weg zu räumen. Das vierte Album des Musikerkollektivs Milagro Acustico greift auf die Poesie arabischer Poeten
zurück, die zu jener Zeit in Sizilien lebten. Poeti Arabi Di Sicilia ist das bislang reifste Werk der Gruppe. Wurde früher
zuweilen opulent orchestriert, werden hier die Instrumente (Saiteninstrumente, Ney und andere Flöten, Saxophon und
Percussion) sparsam und kraftvoll eingesetzt. Einmalig ist der in sizilianischem Italienisch und Arabisch gehaltene Gesang,
der mühelos die Magie der Texte zum Ausdruck bringt. Wie etwa die Frauenstimmen im Stück „Schiavu d’Amuri“ sich in den
Flamencogesang von Fabio dell’Armi einweben, ist unvergleichlich und lohnt schon die Anschaffung der CD. Wer
araboandalusische Klänge im Stile eines Abed Azrié oder Radio Tarifa mag, wird von diesem arabosizilianischen Kleinod
begeistert sein.
Martin Steiner
Saudiaramcoworld.com
This is a gem of a record, one of the best of 2005. For the eight centuries of Arab rule in southern Spain, Arab culture
permeated the Mediterranean, notably in Sicily. On this disc, the Italian world-music ensemble that also produced an album
based on The Rubaiyyat of Omar Khayyam sets words by the island’s medieval Arab poets to often lushly beautiful music
that draws both acoustically and electronically from all corners of the Middle Sea. “Alcantara,” for example, breathes with
North African modes, while “Schiavu d’Amuri” sizzles with the duende of flamenco. But it’s the voices that shine brightest,
richly sensual, smooth, occasionally ethereal, springing out of their frames. Even if you don’t understand a word, the feelings
come through. (MA06)
SAUDIA ARAMCO WORLD (USA)
Questa è una gemma di disco, uno dei migliori del 2005. Per gli otto secoli della dominazione araba in Spagna del
sud, la cultura araba ha pervaso il Mediterraneo, particolarmente la Sicilia. Su questo disco, l' ensemble italiano di
world music, che precedentemente ha prodotto un album basato sulle Rubaiyyat di Omar Khayyam, i Poeti Arabi di
Sicilia di epoca medioevale ispirano una musica spesso sontuosa e bella che disegna in chiave acustica tutti gli
angoli del mare Mediorientale. "Alcantara," per esempio, respira con i modi africani del nord, mentre "Schiavu
D’amuri" ammalia con un duetto flamenco. Ma sono le voci che brillano più luminose, piene di sensualità, morbide,
occasionalmente eteree, balzando fuori dalle loro strutture. Anche se non capite una parola a causa del dialetto, le
sensibilità, il “feeling” vi attraverserà. (MA06)
FOLK BULLETIN
"Per circa duecentosessanta anni è durato il dominio arabo sulla Sicilia. Un periodo forse non lungo in confronto alla pluri
millenaria storia dell'isola, ma sufficiente a caratterizzare fortemente la cultura siciliana. Ed è all'opera di alcuni dei poeti di
lingua araba che vissero nell'isola è dedicato il cd, raffinata operazione, coordinata da Bob Salmieri, riproposta di loro liriche
in forma di canzone. Raffinata, ma anche affascinante, per la grande forza espressiva di questi versi (tradotti in siciliano
dalla scrittrice Daniela Gambino e da Sharifa Hadj Sadok), da cui si comprende i caratteri che sono passati nel canto e nella
poesia siciliana: l'uso della metafora, il mondo, la natura e la stessa vita, sintetizzati da immagini minime, particolari che
rimandano al tutto, come gli arabeschi e le trame di un tappeto nascondono- o svelano, per chi voglia o sappia leggerli -
significati universali. Lo stesso è per la musica, ricca di suggestioni e rimandi, con i suoni a costruire una trama i cui fili
legano la Sicilia da una parte all'oriente (e ben oltre l'Arabia, giungendo forse fino in India) e dall'altra alla Spagna dei
moriscos, in un corto-circuito culturale che si esplicita compiutamente attraverso gli accenti flamenchi di alcuni brani, in cui la
voce (di Fabio Dell'Armi) segue i moduli tipici del canto hondo. Non mancano peraltro riferimenti a strutture musicali "altre",
in primis il jazz, grazie alla voce solista di Francesca Brilli e ad alcuni passaggi pianistici. Registrato a Roma e Istanbul, il cd
contiene undici pezzi, di cui quattro strumentali. Ricco l'organico, che vede insieme musicisti italiani e di lingua araba, e
multietnico lo "strumentario": chitarre, baglama,, contrabbasso, nay, mandolino, zarb, tromba, flicorno, sax, clarinetto, flauti,
udu, pianoforte e percussioni. Da citare infine la bella veste grafica di copertina e libretto, ricca di motivi arabi. Disco che
richiede un ascolto attento per apprezzare appieno il binomio musica-testo, Poeti arabi di sicilia ha il pregio, una volta
assimilato, di poter essere ascoltato a vari livelli di attenzione, fino anche a fungere ottimamente da sottofondo, senza per
questo mai cadere nell'indistinto e nel banale."
Giacomo Arval
MUSICBOOM.IT
Terzo album per i Milagro Acustico, ensamble multiculturale e multietnica, con base in sicilia ma che ha registrato
questo cd a Istambul, jammando con gli artisti locali per rendere il proprio sound ancora più meticcio (come se non
bastassero chitarre, tamburi, mandolini, darkuba per creare il sound caldo del sud del Mediterraneo!). Terzo album
che porta il gruppo (formato più o meno da quindici persone) ad un'ulteriore evoluzione nella propria
consapevolezza dei propri mezzi, questa volta messi a disposizione delle traduzioni meticce delle poesie arabe in
siciliano. Il sound che ne risulta è attraente, coinvolgente, anche per chi non capisce il dialetto stretto con cui
vengono recitati i versi (probabilmente già ostici per i siciliani stessi, visto che le poesie risalgono alla fine del
primo millennio). Una sorta di concept-album legato all'amore per la propria terra, sia essa araba o siciliana, e che
maliziosamente strizza l'occhio al presente, con le proprie storie di moschee bruciate per ordine del cristianesimo,
di esodi forzati nella speranza di una vita migliore, di guerre insensate e di alti tradimenti. La storia si ripete
ciclicamente, purtroppo, ma lo stesso accade per la musica, che ora viene non modernizzata, quando piuttosto resa
capace di diffondersi anche nella comodità di casa nostra, senza dover inventare macchine del tempo o acquistare
biglietti per trovarsi in qualche sperduto paese arabo dove si suona ancora secondo la tradizione. Se un album di
questo calibro è riuscito ad emozionare un metallaro fatto e finito cme me, vorrà pur dire qualcosa. Luci di lu iurnu,
con le sue parti vocali femminili, è veramente coinvolgente, e alla fine dell'ascolto del cd vi troverete probabilmente
sudati, come se aveste passato la notte nel deserto a danzare. Non male come risultato, per un freddo pezzo di
plastica da infilare in uno strumento che proietta un raggio laser sulla sua superficie.
Menzione d'onore anche per la confezione, un lussuoso digipack a tinte "desertiche", molto evocativo e corredato
di note per meglio comprendere il progetto. Un ottimo regalo, per voi o per chi vi sta vicino.
Paolo Bianco
ROCKIT (ITALY)
Il progetto nasce con l'intenzione di recuperare e coniugare in musica le opere dei principali poeti arabi vissuti in Sicilia tra il
IX e l'XI secolo. Quasi come dissotterrare uno scrigno segreto e prezioso, sommerso dagli anni e dimenticato sotto la
polvere, nascosto dalla paura di termini incomprensibili come "scontro di civiltà" e "guerra di religione". Un'operazione che si
può immaginare non facile, che i Milagro acustico
hanno deciso di edificare incoraggiati dall'amore per la propria terra, le sue tradizioni, la sua gente. "Poeti arabi di Sicilia" è
un omaggio all'ammeticciamento di culture e
suoni, un gesto per non dimenticare una civiltà che oggi guardiamo con sospetto. Le poesie, tradotte in siciliano dall'arabo,
sono inserite all'interno di sonorità acustiche costruite attorno l'uso di una strumentazione tipicamente mediterranea, come
testimonia l'impiego del mandolino, del kaval o del darbuka. Il collettivo siciliano, per la realizzazione del cd, ha sentito la
necessità di compiere un viaggio a Istanbul, dove il confronto con i musicisti locali ha restituito un suono fortemente
influenzato dall'oriente: un contatto che non ha impedito a un certo addentellato di origine jazz di interferire e dare vita a
melodie di forte impatto emotivo. Lontane da litanie e tentazioni ieratiche, le undici tracce presenti all'interno di "Poeti arabi
di Sicilia" brillano per coraggio e per aver dato dignità a un filone lontano dalla massificazione
culturale del giorno d'oggi. L'impressione è che i Milagro acustico abbiano
centrato in pieno l'obiettivo.
G. Catani
UK VIBES (GB)
Music inspired by the poetry of the Arabic poets who were born and raised in Sicily during the Muslim domination. Beautiful
words from classic poets laced into beautiful music to produce another exquisite release from this superb Italian band.
ICOGITATE.COM (England)
Now Bob Salmieri is a man you don’t meet every day. This is a fellow who dances to his own drummer alright: he is
very much “sui generis”.This is the third album of Milagro Acustico that I have reviewed. They are a multicultural
ensemble who work under the direction of Salmieri. And I use the word “work” advisedly: because although their
albums are wonderfully laid-back and easy on the ear, the truth is that Salmieri takes his colleagues down avenues
that probably don’t come easy to them. This makes the “finished product” all the more commendable.For instance,
to work on the content of this album can hardly have been a burning ambition to most of the 15 musicians listed.
Why? Well, I refuse to believe that more than a couple of them could have been enthusiasts for the Arabic poetry
written in the years of the Moorish domination of Sicily: it really MUST have all been down to the powerful influence
of Mr. Salmieri.The poems have been translated into Sicilian by Daniela Gambino and Sharifa Hadj Sadok. And this
CD fits the usual Milagro Acustico formula. The music is their usual imaginative and inventive mix. The instruments
he has used are all seemingly running the gamut of mainly esoteric (well, “esoteric” to MY British ear, at least!)
acoustic instruments like kaval, baglama, darbuka and ney. And the music seems very much in harmony with the
poetry. It draws less heavily than usual on Milagro Acustico’s avant garde jazz sound, and instead is slightly more
redolent of the music of the souk. And the “reason why” is indubitably due to the fact that in order to get the right
sound, Salmieri took his group to Istanbul to work with local musicians.
In his notes that accompanied my review copy, Bob Salmieri talks of the Crusades as “the wars of religion”. He
does not draw parallels with today: he does not need to, the parallels are all-too-obvious. We have an Arab nation
that was once the cradle of civilisation, a country that invented algebra, home to the hanging gardens of Babylon,
ruthlessly invaded by a far more powerful coalition of forces. It is only right that in these days when Brits like me
are constantly being told that WE are a civilising influence on a seemingly lesser breed of people, that we stop for a
moment and consider the FACTS. A great classic poet like Ibn Hamdis was one of many fine poets writing in Arabic
during the Moorish occupation of Sicily. He was forced to leave Sicily in exile, for by the time he lived, the Norman
invasion had started to “go wrong”. But let it not be thought that the Normans had originally had contempt for
Arabic text. Quite the contrary.It is illustrative to realise that the Normans invaded Sicily at almost exactly the same
time as they invaded my current homeland, England. But what happened in the two countries was markedly
different. In England, the Normans had contempt for the local language, and quickly made Norman French the
language of officialdom. Not so in Sicily. Such was their appreciation of Arabic, that they kept it as joint official
language. Indeed Roger the Second was fluent in it, and as for his Chief Minister, well, such was his love of the
language that he used to pray to his Christian God in the language of the Moors!The Palermo Cathedral of today
used to be a mosque, and to this very day has the opening lines of the Koran on one of its pillars! And many of the
buildings that nowadays LOOK Islamic, were actually built in the early 12th Century by NORMANS convinced in the
superiority of Moorish architecture.
In 1154 Roger died, and with it came a change in attitude to Muslims. The days of tolerant understanding were now
numbered. Eventually, Frederick the Second expelled all Muslims from Sicily in 1272.But this album of Milagro
Acustico recalls those heady days when the three major religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism could live
together in harmony. And it seems to me that such an album is what is needed today and not the “Heavy Metal”
belligerent sound that American soldiers are playing in their tanks as they drive into a hell-hole of their
Government’s making.
Dai Woosman
JAM (ITALY)
"Milagro Acustico è un ensemble siciliano di una quindicina di musicisti che per l'occasione si impegna in un lavoro quasi
filologico di riscoperta musicale e letteraria. Poeti arabi di Sicilia è la riappropriazione di una cultura siciliana sopravvissuta a
un millennio di restaurazione occidentale, quella relativa alla dominazione araba che aveva regalato all'isola splendide
architetture e liriche di grande sensibilità. Milagro Acustico rivisitano le poesie di alcuni poeti arabi, nati e vissuti in Sicilia, in
particolare Ibn hamdis, sorprendente per mla sua modernità, ad esempio in Ianchi capiddi che parla del tempo che passa e
porta con sé la giovinezza delle persone, o in Schiavu d'amuri in cui si esprime con un'emotività commovente. ma c'è anche
Muhammad Ibn Al-Qatta, forse più duro, quasi guerriero in Figli di Aghlab e Anni su anni. Musicalmente il gruppo si raccoglie
intorno a sonorità mediterranee di grande respiro, ma
sono le voci la vera sorpresa: voci recitanti, voci soprano, voci arabe che ci regalano deliziosi chiaroscuri sostenuti da fiati,
corde e percussioni che disegnano quadretti quasi impressionisti."
Roberto Caselli - JAM
ROCKSTAR (ITALY)
"Milagro Acustico è un settetto formatosi a Roma dieci anni fa. Questa è la loro quarta produzione che si avvale di
una bella impaginazione e di un'ottima confezione e che punta l'obiettivo sulla poesia nata in Sicilia, circa mille anni
fa, durante la dominazione araba. Uno splendido lavoro di ricerca letteraria e strumentale che è partito da Palermo e
si è spinto sino ad Istanbul con l'incontro di strumenti e musicisti turchi (Volkan Gucer e Turker Dinletir). Ottima
l'interpretazione dei protagonisti su strumenti originali e delle voci di Simona Ferriera e Francesca Brilli e davvero
magnifica l'intera produzione curata da Bob Salmieri".
Paolo De Bernardin
SONICBANDS.IT (italy)
“Poeti Arabi di Sicilia” risveglia fatti, misfatti ed antiche tradizioni del periodo di dominazione Araba della Sicilia dopo oltre un
millennio dalla sua avvenuta. È sorprendente quanto ancora si riesca ad evocare musiche ed atmosfere così anticamente
orientaleggianti con l’utilizzo di stumenti tradizionali e moderni e senza l’utilizzo di programmazione. Il Milagro Acustico è al
terzo album ufficiale, dopo un’autoproduzione datata 1998 e precedenti release timbrate USA da etichette quali Tinder
Records e World Class, questo per confermare, sammai ce ne fosse bisogno, la bontà stilistica ed espressiva di questo
affollato progetto. Quello che colpisce sono le atmosfere rese in modo tremendamente efficiente dalla maestria della band
capace di trasportare il pensiero a remoti paesaggi. Le poesie tradotte in siciliano, il viaggio ad Istambul (dove è stato in
parte registrato il cd), l’incontro con artisti locali e soprattutto l’amore per la propria terra creano un surreale viaggio indietro
nel tempo dove storie d’incertezza e sofferenza dominano la scena, sfociando in brani splendidi quali “Standu Arrivannu”
che apre il disco, “Schiavu d’Amuri”, “Anni Su Anni” e soprattutto “Prima da battaglia” tagliente e davvero efficace attesa
prima di una guerra. Indiscutibile il valore artistico di quest’opera che vedo più come forma di libro/reperto storico che come
cd musicale. In ogni modo un affresco riscoperto da bravi archeologi che completa ed amplifica una storia passata.
Fabio Igor Tosi
Rivistaonline (Italy)
E' probabile che il nome Ibn Hamdis non risvegli memoria alcuna nelle menti dei più. Non un indizio che lo possa ricollegare
a un ambito od evento di cui a scuola si sia distrattamente sentito parlare. Ma ha il sapore, questo nome, dell'importanza
scontata, dell'originalità resa tale dal suo stesso carattere ricercato e ignorato: una nozione che si ha la sensazione di dover
conoscere pur non avendone mai saputo nulla. Eppure svelare subito l'identità di questo personaggio sarebbe alquanto
banale e a dir poco offensivo. Meglio farla emergere dalla sua stessa natura, dal suo nome. Ibn è musulmano e ha un
grande dono: riesce ad esprimere i tormenti del suo tempo e dell'intera società che di quel tempo è figlia. Osserva il
disordine politico che stravolge gli equilibri storici ed umani, intrecciandosi con uno scontro di religioni che forse non ha
ancora eguali in questo mondo. Racconta della sua terra e di come sia stato costretto ad abbandonarla, narrando il contatto
delle culture attraverso semplici scorci di vita quotidiana.Sembra sia un uomo del nostro mondo, della nostra storia, della
nostra cultura ormai multietnica: tutte cose che di certo Ibn condividrebbe se non fosse per la loro errata collocazione nel
tempo. Un tempo che si aggira intorno all'anno Mille, in una Sicilia islamica ormai sotto il giogo normanno, cristallizzato nei
versi di un poeta di Allah. E sono proprio le poesie di Hamdis a scandire questi ricorsi storici, a ricordarci che le
contaminazioni in Italia ci sono sempre state e non sono una novità del nostro secolo.Quale modo migliore per riscoprirlo se
non rileggendo i versi del siciliano Ibn? E se invece di rileggerli li ascoltassimo per la prima volta? E' quello che i Milagro
Acustico, gruppo dalle sonorità mediterranee uso all'adattamento di poesie medievali come testi per arrangiamenti, hanno
proposto nel loro ultimo album Poeti Arabi di Sicilia. Un esperimento all'insegna della contaminazione non solo culturale ma
soprattutto storica e temporale che affascina per lo stile e il gusto antico ed è testimonianza di un'acuta attenzione per le
radici non solo della Sicilia ma dell'Europa intera. Così si scopre che le sonorità islamiche, legate dall'immaginario collettivo
per lo più al Corano, sono in realtà tessuto vivo della nostra stessa produzione musicale, elementi sostanziali di quello che
oggi appare così distante e distorto e che invece è il prodotto di una storia già scritta, compiuta.
Tracce nascoste, insomma, eppure forti. Messaggi sempre validi che ben si attagliano al notro mondo, al nostro tempo, alla
nostra cultura.
Barbara D’Amico
FUNPROX (GB)
The latest album of Milagro Acustico a multicultural ensemble from Italy around Bob Salmieri. Over fifteen musicians are
involved in this colourful piece of work, with various male and female singers and a variety of only acoustic instruments, like
guitar, baglama, mandolino, tambur, ney, kaval, tamburi a cornice and darbuka. Inspiration was found in the poetic legacy of
the Poeti Arabi di Sicilia (827-1091). The poems refer to their love for Sicily, its people, nature and the earth.
These ancient texts, from classic poets like Ibn Hamdis, are given a musical treatment which combines traditional and more
contemporary influences. Arabic, mediterranean and medieval music play an important role, but there are also jazzy and
poppy elements. The songs make an organic, spontaneous impression, as if the musicans are jamming on a village square
untill the sun goes down. I especially like the pieces with female vocals, like 'Luci di lu iurnu'. It's a pleasant summer album
with a warm atmosphere.
KINDAMUZIK (Olanda)
Aan het einde van het eerste millennium na Christus was Sicilië in handen van de moslims. Destijds verwoordden
de Arabische poëten die er verbleven het wel en wee van land en bevolking. Zo was er een zekere Ibn Hamdis, die
ten tijde van de invallen van de Noormannen verbannen werd en deze gebeurtenis met de nodige hartstocht aan het
papier toevertrouwde.
Deze gedichten vormen de basis voor Milagro Acustico, een Italiaanse band die de muzikale tradities van het
Middellandse Zeegebied in ere wil herstellen. Ze gebruiken daarvoor een hele resem authentieke akoestische
instrumenten waarmee ze de muziek in hun historische kader evoceren.
Interessant toch? Ja, maar er is ook een andere kant. Muzikaal klinkt het allemaal tamelijk klassiek en weet Poeti
Arabi Di Sicilia zelden te boeien. Om niet te zeggen dat het bij momenten slaapverwekkend is. De etnische muziek
is perfect uitgevoerd, maar daar is alles mee gezegd. Milagro Acustico is bijgevolg in haar opzet geslaagd. Helaas
heb je daar als luisteraar niet veel aan.
Hans van der Linden
POPMATTERS.COM (USA)
"I find my creativity in the moment I try to keep in touch with the two parts of my essence; when I try to detach "me"
from the earth and approach "me" to the sky. So, the Arts for me are only the tools and not the goal, they are the
tools to evoke the other part of "us".
— Bob Salmieri, musician, composer, poet, and leader of Milagro Acustico
Rubáiyyát of Omar Khayyam is the third CD by the Rome-based group Milagro Acustico. Like their second CD I
Storie Ò Cafè Di Lu Furestiero, Rubáiyyát of Omar Khayyam is a "concept" recording, developing a theme, with
each composition flowing naturally into the next -- somewhat like a symphony. The group's leader, Bob Salmieri,
became inspired to compose music for Omar Khayyam's quatrain when he encountered the book at a newsstand.
He picked it up, read the first few pages, and was immediately inspired to create music for this work.
Bob Salmieri is a composer who when working on one musical project is always looking ahead to the next one as
well. In I Storie Ò Cafè Di Lu Furestiero, we are given a hint to the group's next release with a track simply titled "
Rubáiyyát". ( Rubáiyyát of Omar Khayyam continues this tradition; the instrumental piece "The Wine" is subtitled
"Omar meets the 'Arabian Poets of Sicily'", preparing us for Salmieri's next work). While both releases could fit
under the category of "New Age" music, they are really much more interesting than that. The music could as easily
be described as jazz, yet it actually falls somewhere in between the cracks of the usual marketing terms and
becomes a unique blend of what has become known as world music.
On Rubáiyyát of Omar Khayyam, Milagro Acustico have expanded their palette of instruments and sounds. Not only
have they added such instruments as the Persian santur and the Armenian duduk (Salmieri learned to play the
duduk for this recording, not a big stretch since he already plays both saxophone and clarinet), but guest artists
such as Maryam Borhani and Javad Ghaffari add Persian vocals and Fabio Dell'armi adds outstanding flamenco
vocals and guitar.
Even though the musicians of Milagro Acustico live in Rome, they are all of Sicilian descent. This heritage is
apparent in their musical viewpoint. Sicily is a country situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Sea, and
thus takes its musical influences from the surrounding areas. Milagro Acustico making a CD that includes so-called
"outside" sounds is logical and even relevant when thinking of modern Sicilian music.
Omar Khayyam was born in 1040 in Persia during one of the highest periods for Islamic culture. He was not only a
fine poet, but also a mathematician and astronomer. Although his famous quatrain's meaning may still be under
debate, this does not distract from the beauty of the words or their melodic quality. This beauty and lyrical quality is
what inspired Salmieri to set Khayyam's famous work to music.
Salmieri's lyrics are not just a mere translation of Khayyam's poetry, though. They are instead "inspired" by
Khayyam's quatrain. He has composed most of songs in his own Sicilian dialect and had others translated into the
Persian language. Fortunately the liner notes offer the poems in both the original written language and translated
into English.
The liner-note photographs taken by Bob Salmieri are also worthy of note. He has traveled often in the Middle East
and has the artist's eye needed to capture the inherent beauty of the people and places he has seen. Last year, I
chose Rubáiyyát of Omar Khayyam, then still a self-produced demo, as one of my 10 favorite recordings for 2003,
and noted that the cover design had to be my favorite for the year. That holds true for this year as well, as World
Class/Hearts of Space has kept the original design. Now that Milagro Acustico has two recordings released on
major labels, I hope their work will not fall into obscurity. It is exciting to know that they are hard at work on their
next project, and I, for one, am looking forward to its completion. I highly recommend their releases, and
recommend keeping a steady eye (and ear) out for future ones.
Gypsy Flores
FOLKWORLD (Germany)
This is another concept album by Milagro Acustico, following their project "I storie o Café di lu Furestiero" (reviewed in
FolkWorld). The band has translated poems from a 12th century Persian poet and scientist, Omar Khayyam, directly from
the Persian texts into Sicilian. For the recording, they use a combination of instruments from Mediterranean regions (e.g.
Mandolin, Marranzano, Daf, Darbouka, Piano) and from Persia (Santur, Duduk, Chords instruments). The Italian lead singer
Fransesca Suriano Brilli has a lovely voice and sings mostly in a melancholic style, beautifully reflecting the background of
the music. The Near Eastern music styles prevail on the album, most distinctive through melancholic chants and Eastern
percussion. Music that might not be that accessible to friends of European music, but undoubtedly impressive and moving.
Michael Moll
NEWAGEREPORT.com (USA)
It is a dark, tumultuous time. The skies are gloomy and the people live in fear. There is a war of religion that has
torn the countryside and the continent asunder. There are terrorists and assassins around every street corner.
Another war, among scholars and scientists, splits the society like a cold, falling scimitar. The year however is not
2004, but 1100 A.D. The country is ancient Persia,Present present day Iran, and it is the time of Omar Khayyam.
Omar Khayyam, born in 1048, was a Renaissance man of his time, a mathematician, scientist, astronomer,
philosopher, and of course poet. His contributions include an accurate calendar, algebraic theories, and the
Rubaiyyat. This epic poem is made up of hundreds of quatrains and has been translated into as many languages as
the bible. The highly talented musical group Milagro Acustico of Sicily, Italy uses traditional instruments and adds a
new dimension to their interpretation of the renowned poetry of the Rubaiyyat of Omar Khayyam. And it is world
class.
The opening track Vinni comu l’acqua (I came like water) immediately casts us into the ancient and mystic Eastern
world. Saxophone, keyboards, clarinet and popping percussion set the stage for our journey into history. Francesca
Brilli’s sultry vocals are clear and passionate as she sings of an earthly birth and departure via water and wind, two
of the natural elements of olden times.
Comacam Con sung by gifted Persian vocalist Maryam Borhani is a fervent appeal for help. “Help me, for I fade
here, Help me so that I might stay.” Frankly, the song is not long enough, but it segues into The Road of Nishapur
Suite in three parts. Nishapur, located in northeastern Iran is the birthplace of Omar Khayyam. Located on the Silk
Road, it was the center for trade as well as the target of Genghis Khan. The music in this suite which ranges from
World jazz to a kind of ethnic fusion uses voice, percussion, udu and tribal wind instruments. There is an excellent
lead in on the santur by Robert Caravella. The musical trilogy is the nexus of the album that expands into different
types of music, bringing about emotional changes. Blending the old with the new, the song The Silent Poet is a
mixture of neo-classical tones and Old World flamenco voice. Andrea Alberti’s contemplative piano piece is a rest, a
breathing space on our journey though history. It is another track that I wished was longer. The final cut, Trance
Dance is the culmination of the entire work. It has that edgy, modern Italian Opera feel that you sometimes hear on
Cirque du Soleil soundtracks. Once again the santur takes center stage as well as lively percussion. The voice of
Fabio Dell’Armi and Francesca Brilli’s sweet voice makes it a very memorable song. The music of Rubaiyyat of
Omar Khayyam is the remarkable creation of World music composer Bob Salmieri. Combining the Sicilian and
Persian cultures, he has made an album of unique beauty that defies description into a common genre. Along with
thirteen other musicians and vocalists the music entertains as well as reminds us that not everything that comes
from the Middle East is, was, or will be evil. I truly enjoyed listening to this music.RJLannan
WORLDMUSICCENTRAL (USA)
Italian composer Bob Salmieri (Milagro Acustico) explored the poetry of Omar Khayyam (11th century Persian poet) on the
CD, Rubaiyyat of Omar Khayyam (Hearts of Space Records). Again we have an ethereal tapestry of silk road sounds
married to European instruments. I especially enjoyed vocals by Francesca Suriano Brilli, Simona Ferreira and others.
Salmieri is one of my favorite modern composers mixing world music with other genres. He possesses a vast imagination
and I enjoy the spiritual overtones of his compositions.
Patty-Lynne Herlevi
MUNDOVIBES (USA)
With its daily violence it is hard to image a time of tranquility, poeticism and peace in the Middle East. But anyone
who has ever read the poetry of Rami or heard its classical music knows there is another side to the region’s
culture (and that’s an understatement). Sicily’s Milagro Acustico, fronted by musician Bob Salmieri, has taken
inspiration from Persian culture and the 12th century poet Omar Khayyam on its second recording “The Rubaiyyat
of Omar Khayyam”. With Khayyam’s words as inspiration, Milagro Acustico fuse the music of Middle Eastern, the
Mediterranean, Indonesian and Magrebin cultures. An impressive cast of musicians play an assortment of
instruments, with the middle eastern santur and duduk bridging the divide. Khayyam’s words are translated into
Sicilian, with the exception of two which remain in his native Persian. Milagro Acustico delicately balances
acoustic, percussive and vocal elements with lead vocalist Francesca Suriano Brilli’s haunting and expressive
voice guiding the way. The pace of the recording flows like an ancient river, revealing new moods and textures
around each slowly unwinding bend. Though it leans more to the “new age” than classical, this is a recording that
avoids the traps (i.e. cheesey synths, fake exoticism) of so many world fusion recordings. Its subtle mix of
instrumentation and composition are a canvas of textures and mood. Songs like ‘Vinni Comu L’acqua’ (‘I came like
water and like wind I go’) ‘Viristi U Munnu’ (‘You Saw the World’) speak of the temporality of life in their lyrics and
flowing composition. ‘U Tavernaru’ (the landlord) is a stunning piano-led composition accompanied by Brilli’s
vocals and subtle percussion. “The Rubaiyyat of Omar Khayyam” is a meditative, dreamlike journey to a mythical
place where cultures merge in peace. Perhaps a dream of what is possible? JC Tripp
POPMATTERS(USA)
The Rubáiyyát of Omar Khayyám is the third recording by the Italian group Milagro Acustico. When the leader of the
group, Bob Salmieri, first read Omar Khayyám's quatrain, he knew he had to compose music for it. He translated
Khayyám's words from the original Persian into the Sicilian dialect and then created music and lyrics that evoke
Khayyám's experiences of one mystical night. The mood is dreamy and meditative and combines sounds and
instruments from many parts of the world. The recording effectively blends Bob's Sicilian background with his
interest in the music of the Middle and Far East, plus adding elements of jazz and even a bit of flamenco.
Gypsy Flores
AllMusicGuide
For their second album, Milagro Acustico take on something big, and with a massive reputation -- The Rubaiyat of Omar
Khayyam, one of the great literary masterpieces. Translating it, or at least some of it, into a musical setting offers a
fascinating challenge, but their pan-Mediterranean approach is uniquely suited to the task. At times the group sounds like a
chamber orchestra (as on "The Road of Nishapur, Pt. 3," with its Persian vocals), at times the folk element is so pure,
such as with the solo voice on "Komakam Kon." With a full 13 members, the band can offer a range of tonal colors, from
brass to strings and piano, and even the Indian santur, but in the main they aim for -- and achieve -- a hanging delicacy,
typified by "Viristi U Munnu." This is a stunningly beautiful record at times, as befits the poetry, one which doesn't put any
performer above any other, but utilizes the qualities and talents of the whole ensemble to create jewel-like settings. It's a
reminder, not only of how lovely the words of the text are, but also that the music of the Mediterranean can contain
crystalline melancholy as well as sunny vibrancy.
Chris Nickson
Blow Up (Italy)
Un esperimento piuttosto riuscito quello di tradurre in siciliano le liriche del tuttologo persiano Omar Khayyam,
vissuto poco oltre l’anno Mille. Regista dell’operazione è Bob Salmieri, fiatista e multistrumentista di buon livello
che, in compagnia di una dozzina di musicisti, si ingegna di edificare intorno alla voce soffusa e arcaica di
Francesca Suriano Brilli una camera sonora evocante un Medio Oriente a metà tra il mistico e il carovaniero. I suoni
ondeggiano perciò tra una calma quasi trance e decise aperture in odore di etnojazz. L’equilibrio tra le parti non
viene però mai meno e Milagro Acustico dimostra di superare la prova.
(An experiment rather succeeded that to translate in Sicilian the lyric of the persian poet and scientist Omar
Khayyam, lived a little further the year Thousand. Director of the operation is Bob Salmieri, multi strumentist of
good level that, in company of a dozen of musicians, he is striven of to build around the voice soffused and archaic
of Francesca Suriano Brilli a room sonorous evocative a Middle East between the mystical and the caravan style.
The sounds ripple therefore between a calm almost trance and definite openings in odor of etnojazz. The
equilibrium between the parts never less and Milagro Acustico shows of to overcome the test.)
CDRoots (USA)
Sicilian producer Bob Salmieri and his ensemble of Mediterranean instrumentalists and guest musicians created a
concept album that contemplates a verses from the 11th century Persian poet Omar Khayyam. Melancholy in mood
the music reveals influences from the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Santur, udu, flutes, keyboards,
percussion, mandolin and vocals all come into play, lending the music an early music or chamber-folk character.
The vocals are predominately in Sicilian, translated from the original Persian text.
FolkWorld (UK)
I have had some rum albums to review in my time, but this one perhaps is the most unusual to date. When I heard I
was about to get an album inspired by the quatrains of Omar Khayyam, I immediately got excited. For when I was
about 15, I got my hands on a copy of Edward Fitzgerald’s famous translation. And I just LOVED it. However my
eagerness to receive the CD abated somewhat, when I learned that the verses were being translated into Sicilian
dialect! And since my grasp of Sicilian would not be enough to engage even the most passionate conversationalist
in Palermo, I wondered if it was for me. But I should have known better. Bob Salmieri (the driving force behind
Milagro Acustico) has the great gift of “inclusiveness”. On his last album, Bob introduced African ethnic
instruments and musicians into his ensemble. Here amongst the Sicilian dialect we have the surprising but
welcome introduction of Omar Khayyam in Spanish, sung by the flamenco musician Fabio dell’ Armi. Plus some
Persian vocal too from Iranian performers.
As I said, this is not an album one gets for review every day: and it must be stated from the outset that it is much
more an album for the EARS than for the typewriter. That is to say that whilst one can indeed write on it, it lends
itself more to reverie and contemplation rather than something as CONCRETE as “words”. Still, that said, it is of no
consolation to the reader of this review: he/she wants to READ my thoughts on the album. It is not sufficient for
them just to know that the CD had got me into an occasionally blissful state of contemplation! So, let’s get down to
the hard job of articulating my reactions. I confess to switching off from the words as soon as I saw the English
translation in the liner notes. (By the way, most handsomely produced liner notes. Congratulations are due to Bob
for a first class job here. But not for his English translation.)
Look, I grew up on the Fitzgerald. I feel sorry for the poor benighted souls who will read the followingin the notes:
“Coming and going all the time…what’s it get you?/Which path is designed for us?/All burning souls become earth,
where is the smoke?/I came like water and like wind I go”.
Now, compare that to the magisterial command of Fitzgerald. There is just no comparison:
“Myself when young did eagerly frequent. Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument
About it and about: but evermore. Came out by the same Door as in I went.
With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow, And with my own hand labour'd it to grow:
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd---I came like Water, and like Wind I go."
The first, whilst an honest attempt at translation, has leaden feet. The second is the “real thing” and takes flight. So,
as I say, I “checked out” when it came to the lyrics. I just got out my Fitzgerald and read that instead, whilst
Salmieri’s music and lyrics provided the background for my musing.
And I have to say that I salute Bob for producing 21st Century music that is strangely totally “simpatico” with the
thoughts of this great man of the 11th Century. The instruments run the gamut, and the sound is (loosely) perhaps
best described as “avant garde jazz”.
Methinks it will be a year or two before I get such an unusual album for review again.
Dai Woosman
Netrhythms (UK)
Milagro Acustico was formed in 1995 by Bob Salmieri, a Sicilian musician, this beautiful release is follow up to
another concept project ‘I Storie O Cafe Di Lu Furestiero’. Here he takes Omar Khayyam's poetry which he then
translated, with the aid of Iranian vocalists Maryam Borhani and Javad Ghaffari, into Sicilian (apart from two sung
in the original Persian). He then gathered together 14 musicians including Maryan and Javad to record the songs,
here the Mediterranean pools its musical influences and heritage to provide an enchanting setting for these
graceful poems. Gorgeous.
Graham Radley
Omarkhayyamnederland.com
Een nieuwe cd met muziek geïnspireerd door de kwatrijnen van Khayyám, vertaald uit het Perzisch in Siciliaans
dialect door Bob Salmieri. De cd wordt in juli 2004 uitgebracht op het label Hearts of Space. Milagro Acustico
omschrijft zichzelf als 'Mediterranean Ensemble Music' en maakt gebruikt van traditionele instrumenten uit het
Middellandse Zeegebied en uit Perzië.
De teksten zijn opgenomen in het Sicilliaans, Perzisch en Spaans. Hieronder de Sicilliaanse versie van "I came like
water and like wind I go".
Insideworldmusic.com
The Italian group, Milagro Acustico, explores the poetry of Omar Khayyam. Omar was a Persian poet, born in 1040.
Rubaiyyat Of Omar Khayyam is the musical equivalent of Omar’s spoken poetry. Some tracks are sung in Sicilian;
while others are wholly instrumental. A plethora of instruments including guitar, piano, trumpet, santoor, bass, sax,
flute, mandolin, udu, and various other percussion instruments. The overall music contains Mediterranean and
Middle Eastern infusions. A very accessible album for the world music listener!
P.E.Kirman
www.newageretailer.com
Based on the quatrains of 12th-century scientist and poet Omar Khayyám, the songs on Rubáiyyát of Omar
Khayyám evoke the mystical, ecstatic Persia of Jallaludin Rumi’s time. Headed by Sicilian musician and artist Bob
Salmieri, Mílagro Acustíco uses vocals and Middle Eastern and Persian instruments, including the mandolin,
marranzano, daf, darbouka, santur, and duduk, to convey Khayyám’s eternal messages. One of my favorite tracks is
“Komakam Kon,” an a cappella piece in the traditional Persian language. Maryam Borhani’s clear voice relays an
anguish with which many can identify; translated, the song begins, “Help me, for I fade here. Help me, so that I
might stay. Help me keep the kiss of death from my lips.” Salmieri’s efforts are listeners’ rewards. Rubáiyyát of
Omar Khayyám is seductive and compelling.
KINDAMUZIK (Holland)
Ik kan heel goed luisteren naar authentieke wereldmuziek. Het Ensemble Al-Kindi bijvoorbeeld, of Mohammad Reza
Shajarian. Echt schitterend. Waar ik minder goed tegen kan zijn de hybrides tussen oost en west, die zogenaamde
eclectische samensmeltingen waar oosterse sferen vermengd worden met westerse instrumenten en dance-ritmes.
Milagro Acustico valt in deze laatste categorie. Het Romeinse zestal neemt kwatrijnen van Omar Khayyam - een
renaissanceman uit het Perzië van de elfde eeuw - en vertaalt die vervolgens in het oud-Siciliaans. Waarom dat
gedaan is wordt nergens duidelijk. Vervolgens worden er wat oosters en mediterraans aandoende melodieën
gebruikt, die behalve door tradionele instrumenten als ud en darbouka ook door synths en saxofoons worden
vertolkt. Het resultaat is kitscherig en soms ronduit lelijk. Conclusie: vult u hier maar dat spreekwoord in met de
woorden "grote boog" en "omheen lopen".
Bas Ickenroth
The music of Milagro Acustico on this album is rather moody and melancholic. It's varied, accessible melodic world
music, with of course the necessary ancient Arabic influences mixed with more contemporary and western
elements. Quite a few musicians and vocalists have been involved in this album with a warm Mediterranean
atmosphere. Male and female voices, diverse instruments like percussion, piano, clarinet, flute and madolin create
a very enjoyable flowing mixture. I think this album will be appreciated by people who like the work of Francesco
Banchini or the dreamy folk/world music of the Prikosnovénie label.
POPMATTERS.COM (USA)
Shelter is important -- shelter from a coming storm, shelter to hide in from the world, or shelter to seek out those of
like-mind and share perhaps a few moments of familiarity, comfort, and conversation. We all seek out these places
-- whether to be alone and quiet in a crowd of strangers who somehow feel like friends or to commune with people
sitting nearby. Perhaps in our dreams, we create such a place that feels somehow like a home for alienated souls.
We go there and sit with others who are also far from home and their life-long friends. Here is the sanctuary where
we can sit, eat, drink, rest, and tell our stories. I Storie ò Cafè Di Lu Furestiero or The Story of the Foreigner's Cafè
is a mystical/musical journey to a cafè on a small Sicilian island where travelers have found such a refuge. Because
Sicily is located where it is -- in the middle of the Mediterranean and very close to Tunisia, very close to the
Balkans, and southern Europe -- one finds in this imaginary cafè foreigners from places near and very far. Milagro
Acustico helps us to experience this in their recording by effectively encompassing a wide variety of sounds that
span genres, traveling somewhere between traditional music and jazz. The combination of instruments from the
many cultures reflected in their music creates a richly textured sound that is added to by guest musicians such as:
Moroccan percussionist and ghayta player Nour Eddine; violinist Jamal Ouassini; Senegalese kora player, Papa
Kanoutè; and Pape Yery Samb on djembé. Milagro Acustico is a "world" music group from Italy (many of whom are
also of Sicilian descent) who formed in 1995 and has recorded two albums together. (Their first recording Onirico,
is self-produced).
The leader and composer for the group, Bob Salmieri grew up in an area of Rome that was built to shelter
immigrants who came from southern Italy and Africa. Although Bob's father was Sicilian, he was born in Tunisia
and spoke both Sicilian and Arabic; thus, there was a mixture of many cultures in Bob's home as he grew up. On
holidays when everyone came together for parties and gatherings, instruments were brought out and everyone
shared music as well as stories. Bob feels that he has always played music. When he was six, he and his father
traveled to Tunisia where Bob was given his first darbouka (goblet drum) by his father. "This is when I, too. began
to tell my stories." From darbouka, he went on to learn to play guitar then later keyboards. Early on, he was
influenced by the music of Miles Davis and Italian saxophonist Massimo Urbani. From this, his love for jazz grew
together with his love for the music he had of course heard all his life. I Storie ò Cafè Di Lu Furestiero brings
together these elements and becomes a source of reconciliation for Bob and his Sicilian background. He felt that
somewhere there needed to be a "shelter" for the many immigrants and displaced people of this world, where they
could go and find a temporary home or harbor from their troubles and be accepted for who they are no matter what
their past. So, the cafè sprung into existence and we can visit whenever we need to find a little consolation too.
"Ricorda O Me Nomi" (or Remember My Name), the first track on the CD is the story of someone who returns home
to his little island after his death. He had left his little island in a hurry and now he finds he misses it. His ghost runs
through the streets hoping to find some signs of his past, that someone remembers him; that someone even is
possibly speaking about him at that moment. Finding few signs (except a grave stone with his name on it and a
photograph of when he was a child) and no one that really remembers him, he enters the "cafè" and finds
hospitality. The music starts with a rather languorous piano but builds to a rapid pace when the other instruments
come in with almost an explosive quality. In the singing, one hears the desperation of the "ghost" as he rushes
around his village trying to find traces of his former existence. The song segues into a lovely little kora (African
harp) piece written and played by Pape Kanoutè titled "Dioulo". Although "Sanghe Meu" literally translates as "My
Blood", in this particular song/poem the sense is really more like "my heart" or "my love". Bob's grandfather
survived the earthquake in Messina in 1908 when he was a small boy. He had returned to Sicily from Tunis for the
first time and after the earthquake he was buried for three days under the debris. He stayed alive for two reasons,
he related. One: because there was a small stream that ran next to him where he lie and two: because he had a
vision of a beautiful Oriental dancer who helped him. This story is not only the inspiration for "Sanghe Meu" but for
the gorgeous painting on the CD's cover. The music has an "oriental" feel and the narrator tells the story rather
than sings it with the horns, percussion, and chorus setting the mood.
"A Storia I Me Patri" (My Father's Story) was written for Bob's father. In this song/story, Bob imagines his father,
who was born in Tunis, returning by boat to the island of his family (Favignana) for the first time. The music reflects
the feeling of being on a calm sea with the boat bobbing up and down and over the waves; yet there is an
underlying tension in the chorus, perhaps because of the work of sailing the boat or perhaps because Bob's father
felt nervous anticipation as he approached the island of his family. These stories will also be written as a book of
tales one day by Bob Salmieri in Italian, his Sicilian dialect and in English. "Rubayyat" the next to last song on the
recording gives us a hint to Bob and Milagro Acustico's next project -- a work inspired by the writing of Persian
poet Omar Khayyam.
I Storie ò Cafè Di Lu Furestiero is a cohesive work that flows from beginning to end. We follow the musical stories
the same way we would follow a great conversation or be captivated by a good book -- with interest, a little
surprise, and with enough intrigue that we hope that this "good read" won't end too soon so that we can savor each
tale.
Gypsy Flores
Rotcod Zzaj
AFRICA MU SIC.CO M
The premise of the recording is that each composition is in effect a setting for the telling of a story, presented as a
ballad and in the language of a Sicilian dialect (except for one track in Turkish). The seductive atmosphere is
infused with the contributions of guests Pape Kanoute, Jamal Ouassini and Nour-Eddine, among others. Milagro
Acustico, based in Rome, uses a variety of traditional and ethnic instruments, as well as electronic media, to create
a sound that epitomizes the characteristic Tinder blending of cultures and influences.
WIDR WORL D ( US A)
I've recently received a copy of a CD which was sent to me back in 2001 - "I Storie O Cafe Di Lu Furestiero" (Stories
of the Stranger's Coffee) is a concept album by the band Milagro Acustico. The idea is that on an Italian island, at
the crossroads of Europe and Africa and beyond, there sits a café where travellers stop. What we hear on the CD is
a representation of some of the conversations overheard. This CD is delightful to me now as it was when I heard it
over two years ago. Sung mostly in Italian, this CD is a stew of sounds with spices from all over the world... and the
great news is that it is now available to all the world!
Jason J. Hall
WI ND AND WIRE .C OM ( US A)
I received this promotional CD in the mail and loved the colorful exotic artwork on the cover and was not quite sure
what to expect. I inserted the CD into my computer and Real Player's genre category defined it as generally
unclassifiable. Definitely an appropriate response as this group wanders the genres like a meandering gypsy. The
eclectic nature includes influences of jazz, Greek, Mediterranean, Middle East and new age that makes for a melting
pot of assorted songs and stories. This is without a doubt the most interesting project I have heard so far this year.
The disc opens with the rather odd but exotic "Ricardo o me nomi" that has a strange use of minor chords with a
mix of pulsating percussion work combined with an almost off-key flute arrangements. The occasional vocal chants
add to this perplexing yet moving mix. Speaking of oddities, skip forward to the stirring alto sax on "Sanghe meu"
which is integrated with additional stirring percussion work. This song is very moving and daring. It even includes
a narrative storyteller. Unfortunately, the latter while a courageous move, seems to distract from the composition
and its musical success.
In fact, there is continual sporadic narrative on other tracks that creates a lack of cohesiveness and focus. This is
why "Duci Velenu" is much more attractive which limits the lyrical content to chants and vocalization versus
spoken word. Or for that matter the sultry moody "Lu munnu brucia" that features chief composer and musical
anchor Bob Salmieri on clarinet. Purists of instrumentalist music should be aware that the vocal work on this track
is prominent here.
The most conservative track is left until last courtesy of the mystical jazzy "Signori, si chiude," which includes
some masterful clarinet work from Bob Salmieri. And it is no hidden secret that I tend to venture very little in
musical exploration when it comes to contemporary instrumental music thus this track is without a doubt my
favorite on the album.
Though this album has some fine moments, it never quite hits on all four cylinders and really does not suit my
fancy. However, the work spearheaded by Italian composer and sax player Bob Salmieri is a bold exploration that
places me into his brave new world of creative and artistic freedom. And that alone deserves kudos.
Michael Debbage
ALLM US IC GU IDE( US A)
”It's a concept record of sorts, really -- the idea of a cafe in Sicily where foreigners and natives come together to
talk, and where music of several Mediterranean (and beyond) cultures exist. And it could easily fall on its face, but it
doesn't. Instead the core seven-piece group provides continuity, while the many guests provide color and texture to
the songs and instrumentals. By keeping the music relatively firmly based in the Mediterranean (although "Signori,
Si Chuide" veers off into fairly lightweight jazz), bandleader and composer Bob Salmieri provides a root for it all,
with some gorgeous vocals from DanyB. There's a dreaminess to "Ricorda o Me Nomi" and a sense of both
traveling and rest exemplified by "Dioulo," a kora solo from Pape Kanoute. All in all, there's a languid beauty to this,
and given its overall sense of being an oasis, it obviously succeeds in what it was trying to do. It will be interesting
to see what Milagro Acustico will come up with next time and how well they might work outside a concept.”
Chris Nickson
DJ AM BE REVI EW N. 37 ( Danma r k)
I Storie o cafè di lu Furestiero. Historien om de fremmedes cafè, tager udgangspunkt i de mange rejsende, som
kommer forbi denne sicilianske cafe. Cafè di lu furestiero pa deres gennemrejse mod alverdes destinationer mellem
Europa og Africa, mellem Osten og Vesten. Den lille cafè pà middelhavsoen strakker sine musikalske udtrik. Vi
horer nordafrikanske rytmer, som smelter sammen med den lokale sang af europaeisk tilsnit, flojter gor rytmerne
folge og mandolinen og forskellige afrikanske strengeinstrumenter tilsutter musikalske udtryk, samtidig met ad der
opstar et meget personligt, meget lokalt musikalsk udtryk. Man sidder med en meget staerk fornemmelse af, at
denne musik virkelig fremmaner en stemning som er meget karakteristisk for Cafè di lu furestiero. Sa staerkt
patraengendeer stemningen i denne enestàende musik, at man fàar den tanke, at man pà grundlag heraf burde
kunne genkende stedet,hvis man kom der for forste gang. Skulle man parallelisere dette musikalske mode med
samtalen, er det virkelig den sjaeldent opbyggelige samtale
Som undertiden kann opstà spontant sàdanne steder.
Musikken er hovedsagelig baseret pà akkustike instrumenter. Heraf er mange karakteristike repraesentater for de
forskellinge musikalske udtryk, der indgàr som elementerne i denne gode musikalske samtale. Musikken vinder
med tiden, ligesom risultaten af en god samtale forst viser sig efterfolgende i handling.
Omar Ingerslev
MUS IC DISC.C OM
“This explains the dark shadows and captivating spirits that arise within this 51 minute cd. Indeed, the tracks are as
individual as individuals, as nations, walking musically, often instrumentally, as only specific personalities can
develop. This is only the 2nd release from Milagro Acustico, a world music group that began in 1995. Based in
Rome, MA have managed to gather together an impressive array of helpers from around the globe: That sort of
cast, plus solid songwriting (all by Bob Salmieri, with the exception of 'Dioulo') casts an incredible Far East and
spiritual sound into events that are just glistening for the unreal Café. A heavy, heady mixture of jazz pervades the
climate as well. While this is expected in a club setting, it's nonetheless filled with the smoke of a den of circulating
strangers speaking in Sicilian dialects and occasional novelties like Turkish.
This cd can't be recommended enough. It fills a void, a gap that is impossible to describe, but which has always
been there in the World.”
Ben Ohmart
RH YT HM IC FU SIO N
…An unusual recording as it gathers many musical flavors of the world set to Sicilian lyrics. From the Philippines,
Egypt, Senegal, Colombia, Morocco, and Bangladesh many artists gathered to produce this eclectic release that
has some very interesting mixes.
IN K19 .CO M
is the brainchild of one Bob Salmieri, who has assembled a diverse and insanely talented cast of Mediterranean and
Eastern musicians to help bring this concept album of life in a Sicilian café to life. It's a surprisingly well-crafted
and intriguingly narrated affair, which constantly pushes the envelope of atmospheric crossover World Music.
A few of the tracks do fall uncomfortably close to poor-taste new-age sounds, such as the trippy "Duci Velenu," and
ruin some of the otherwise elegant flow of this album. But thankfully, those moments are few and far between and
don't seriously detract from this richly textured and daring set, one that moves carefully and unassumingly along,
with superb performances and brave songwriting.
Salmieri succeeds in capturing the lush and comforting feel of a quiet night out with friends, in some faraway place,
and in making it matter. I Storie ó Café di lu Furestiero is an album of background music that's actually worth
stopping up and listening to -- a grand and impressive feat.
Stein Haukland
KI ND AM UZ IK .C OM (N ET HE RLA NDS )
De recensie over het album van Luigi Cinque, een tijdje geleden besproken, zou net zo goed op deze plaats kunnen
staan. Een zelfde uitgangspunt, namelijk een cafeetje aan de zee waar bezoekers uit het gehele meditterane gebied
hun geld uitgeven en ze hun verhalen kwijt kunnen. En net als bij het album van Luigi Cinque reflecteert zich deze
multiculturele (afschuwelijk woord, maar hier is het toepasselijk) aanpak ook in de muziek. Een jazzy aanpak met
zang, trompet, gitaar, kora, drums, viool, djembe en piano.
Belangrijker als de keuze van instrumenten is echter de wijze waarop met deze verschillende instrumenten wordt
omgegaan. Op beide albums is er sprake van vloeiende overgangen en mixvormen van ‘traditionele’ stukken. De
reis-metafoor en de daarmee gepaard gaande identiteiten ‘tussen’ culturen, staan hier duidelijk centraal. Dat deze
albums met enige regelmaat vanuit Italië tot ons komen is veelzeggend. In de ideale wereld van een Berlusconi
spelen geografische grenzen misschien niet zozeer een rol, maar voert zijn machtswellust wel degelijk tot een
situatie, waarin aan maar weinige personen een stem wordt toegekend die ook in de media te horen is. Dat er
musici zijn die zich hier tegen verzetten is goed en kan dan ook alleen maar aangemoedigd worden.
Bas van Heur
SI XM OO N.C OM
After two years of research, the Italian formation "Milagro Acustico" follows up their Onirico acoustical album with
this year's The Story of the Stranger's Café, an imaginary Silician bistro tavern at the crossroads between Tunisia to
the South, the Balkans to the East, Portugal and Spain to the West, and Italy to the North. Thus in the very center of
Middle Earth (the Mediterranean), it becomes the story-telling meeting ground for globetrotters, vagabonds,
pilgrims and refugees.
With this conceptual map emblazoned across their hearts, the core ensemble of Sicilian saxophonist/composer
Bob Salmieri, vocalist Danyb, trumpeter Gianfranco Dezi, bassist Piero Pipiulucco, percussionist Carlo Colomo,
guitarist Andrea Pullone and drummer Alfredo Romeo invited numerous guests for additional exotic colors.
Amongst them are Pape Kanoute on the African kora harp; Jamal Ouassini on violin; Francesco Consaga on flutes
and tenor sax; Andrea Alberti on grand piano, Papa Yery Samb on djembe and Andrea Rosatelli on electric bass.
Add impromptu voice tracks culled from street immigrants of Bangladesh, Egypt, Colombia and the Philippines for
"Terra Umlissimia" ("The Poorest Land", with the voices recounting the dreams and prayers of certain clandestines
in the belly of cosmopolitan Rome) and the ingredients -- to the soundtrack of a movie that never was but in this
group's fertile imagination -- line up to dance.
Sung in a mixture of Sicilian dialects and Turkish on "Tesekkur Arkadas", with the unusual juxtaposition of
instruments and associated styles listed above, I Storie exudes visual elements of a road movie, with the same fluid
progression of continuous welcomes and good-byes as a nomadic lifestyle would engender. Not structured like
regular songs, the compositions turn into a hybrid kind of mood music. They become many-layered collages
invoking settings and locales. Far more melodic than classic ambient, it's a nouveau sort of chamber music without
the latter's associated formal structure. It's seemingly spontaneous enough to be improvised yet too complex and
sure-footed to not be meticulously planned.
On "Ricarda O Me Nomi", Kanoute's kora is given room to solo freely, as though jiving about home surrounded by
instruments occasionally commenting. From behind a prayer invocation, Bob Salmieri's sax then imitates a reedy
Turkish zurna, a muted trumpets delivers dry Jazz riffs, a male Silician voice reminisces over better rural times
while a percolating, sinuously snake-charming rhythm weaves it all together. "Profughi" is a jazzy slow waltz, with a
smoky sax/trumpet unison motif accompanied by piano, wistful female vocals interspersed with melancholy flute
calls. Impressions shift between late-hour bar moods to North African outdoor scenes, acoustic instruments
combine with subtle electronic keyboards. On "Thank you, friend", a Macedonian Gipsy brass motif morphs into
breathy song with a first faintly Moroccan, then Middle-Eastern flavor. That is mirrored in the following "Rubaiyyat"
with its Sufi flutes, wind shakers, hand percussion, bells and nasal clarinet before, with the entrance of a bluesy
piano over darbuka trills, the tune turns into a very sophisticated, minimalist modern Jazz hybrid. In short, I Storie à
Café di lu Furestiero isn't so much music to be listened to as music to go daydreaming by. It's suggestive,
amorphously open-ended - different stories and viewpoints meeting in the span of an hour in a fictitious place
"somewhere in Europe". You image the sounds of clanking silverware, the gurgling of emptying bottles, the smells
of spices while total strangers become momentary friends. Not at all a bad recipe to spend a relaxing hour with!
GL OB AL RHY TH M (US A)
This sort of thing used to (often disdainfully) be called a "concept" album. The theme here is a fictitious café on a
small Mediterranean island near Sicily. It is a place happened upon by visitors near and far, travelers with stories
and wisdom to impart. With Rome-based band Milagro Acustico (plus an array of guest players) presenting these
imaginary tales as songs, the concept works. Skilled musicianship and a seamless blending of European, Arabic
and African flavors give these tuneful tales a feel generally hovering between world-weary and wistfully celebratory.
The disc is nicely atmospheric, with just the sort of carrying-away effect many global music listeners are no doubt
searching for. This journey is one of rich instrumental passages, sensual vocals and occasional spoken word
interludes, and by the time you reach the concluding track (which signifies the closing of the café for the evening),
thoughts of how enjoyable the visit has been are at the forefront of your mind.
Tom Orr
But that's a cheap shot. A lot of work has gone into the album and I cannot dismiss it with a glib remark like that. So
let's look for "positives".
Well, it's an incontrovertible fact that the musicianship is top-drawer. An impressive command of conventional
"Western" instruments as well as more esoteric ones such as kora, djambe, darbuka etc. Melodically it is an
always-interesting fusion of North Mediterranean and African melodies and rhythms.
But somehow it is not enough. All of the ballads seem to forego memorability. And it all seems a bit PRETENTIOUS.
Now, it could be that this is really a masterpiece that has passed completely over my head. It will not be the first -
nor the last - time when works of art have bemused the critics. Who knows, this might well be another Stravinsky's
"Rites of Spring", or some such?
But if I were Bob Salmieri, I wouldn't hold my breath on the prospect materialising.
Day Woosnam
MUN DOVIB ES ( US A)
A cafe in a small village on a Sicilian island is the imaginary setting of Italian troupe Milagro Acustico's enchanting
"I Storie ò cafe di lu furestiero" (the stories of the stranger's coffee). On this dreamy and telling recording the cafe's
patrons—immigrants, pilgrims and travellers alike—tell stories of their travels and travails in Sicilian and Turkish,
accompanied by Rome-based Milagro Acustico's atmospheric, other-worldly instrumentals. Milagro Acustico's
Sicilian-born composer and multi-instrumentalist Bob Salmieri is the septet's leader, covering a broad sweep of
duties, handling both writing, vocals and instrumentation.
The door of "I Storie" opens to a musical journey that transgresses musical boundaries, fusing the mediterranean
South, the Far East and Africa. With an array of story tellers and musicians at their disposal, and in the spirit of
cross-cultural expression, Milagro Acustico weave a delicate, multi-hued tapestry. Adding to the mix are its guests:
Moroccans Nour Eddine (percussion, ghayta or North African shawm) and Jamal Ouassini (violin), plus Senegalese
kora player Papa Kanoutè and Pape Yery Samb (djembe). It's an intricate weaving of story-telling, acoustic
instrumentation, rhythm and song. With much of "I Storie" sounds and themes pass by like so many strangers,
lingering and then gone. It's world music in the sense of a world without borders, or these days, place.
The Eastern-tinged 'Ricorda o Me Nomi' (Remember My Name) begins the tale, voicing the sentiments of all
immigrants of the knowledge that home is now just a memory. Pape Kanoutè's kora lays out a delicate counterpoint
to singer Danide's vocals. On 'Dioulo' Kanoute's lilting kora fades into the Turkish 'Sanghe meu', with a deep male
voice narrating. 'Dulci Velenu' features a dulcimer, flute and vocalist Danide's sanguine refrain of the song's title.
Danide's ethereal voice, a highlight of the recording, is heard again on the jazz sombre 'Lu munnu brucia'.
"Terra Umilissima" (Most Humble Land) opens with commentary from a pool of immigrants from Bangladesh,
Egypt, the Philippines, and Colombia, reflecting in their own voices upon their existence as strangers in Italy. A
Spanish woman says, "I cook food that isn't for my own table. I don't understand what they say on the radio, on the
street." Through the narrative voices heard on "I Storie ò cafe di lu furestiero" and its multifarious instrumentation
one gets a sense of what it's like to live on the margins, where nothing is defined. It's a story that's revealed in as
many layers as there are immigrant experiences.—JC Tripp