Menta Selvatica

Gravitating between homes in Milan and Barcelona, versatile Italian singer-songwriter Mila Trani has been producing her Mediterranean Latin-jazz crossover music to great acclaim since her debut EP in 2012. Over the years, she has collaborated with a diverse ensemble of musicians, from Italian jazz players Paolo Tomelleri and Emilio Soana to Greek singer-songwriter Thanasis Papakonstantinou. Now, with Menta Selvatica, she turns to the fado sounds of Lisbon intermingled with influences from the Caribbean and Spanish flamenco to Italian folklore. The songs, all written by Trani (in Italian), are a poetic, heartfelt collection; her smooth and sometimes playful vocals intertwined harmoniously with the supporting orchestration. ‘Sorella Malinconia’ (released as a single) is the main fado-influenced track, beautifully conveying its passion and melancholy. But then, true to her broad musical base, Trani goes jazzy, scatting on ‘Avorio’, playful – with hints of klezmer-meets-Italian folk – on ‘Tupanara’, and then dreamy and plaintive on ‘Menta Selvatica’. Instantly tingling the senses, like the wild mint of the album title, this one will reward repeat playbacks.