Sentimento Popolare Vol 2

Milanese singer and actress Camilla Barbarito developed a passion for world music early in life, touring Mali and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. As a child, she revelled in these exotic (to her) cultures and now, as an adult, explores the rich musical heritage of these and other countries in the second volume of Sentimento Popolare, which translates roughly as ‘Folk Feelings’.

The catchy, uplifting highlife vibe of the opening song ‘Radura Alta’, and the album's dedication in the sleeve notes to the town of Bamako, might have you thinking that this is all about West Africa. But the 13 diverse tracks span several continents, taking in Mediterranean and Balkan rhythms as well as Portuguese fado, Argentinian tango, Romani music and Greek rebetika (to great effect, as on ‘Ximeroni Ke Vradiazi’ where she pays worthy tribute to that pillar of Greek folk music, the late Vasilis Tsitsanis). There's a beguiling Middle Eastern inflection to ‘La Foresta Delle Balene’ in which Barbarito's gutsy arabesque vocals combine with some hypnotic Italian guitar work from Fabio Marconi and Ivo Barbieri, just two of the 24 international artists who have collaborated on this highly accomplished sophomore album.