Much of Fiamma Fumana's music is founded upon Northern Italian traditional folk music, with many a nod to Scottish folk music as well. FF seasons these traditional sounds and themes with contemporary ideas - for example, waiting around in airports between flights, in "Check In" - and modern sounds - perhaps most notably, Medhin Paolos's electronica, which is laced throughout their albums; but also Lisa Kant's vocals, which sometimes strike a traditional, soulful stance, just as they at other times strike a modern rock pose. It is this amalgam of the traditional and the modern which is FF's defining characteristic.
Onda is a superb album. Lisa's vocals display remarkable virtuosity on each and every song. She simply has a beautiful voice, at times gentle and soothing, at other times, bursting with good-natured energy.Another distinctive feature of FF music is the often unexpected and delightful presence of Alberto Cottica's piano and acoustic guitar, which are often subtly interlaced throughout the electronica. Lady Jessica's pipes and whistles and Alberto's accordion are also defining sounds.
I mentioned before that Onda is bursting with good-natured energy. Let me add that this characteristic is indeed one of the things that makes this album so much fun: it is genuinely upbeat. While it is in many ways "modern" music, there is nothing cynical about it. On the contrary, it is a celebration of human perseverance, comradery, and talent. These latter items define FF's philosophy. If you read around on their website, it becomes very clear that these are very smart, good, and talented people who want to preserve great music, along with an emotional connection with the past, but who also want to bring these traditions forward to effect positive change in the here and now. If this all seems too heady, don't worry: this album is extraordinarily danceable and sing-along-able. Anyone with half a soul won't be able to resist smiling and tapping a toe. (Side note: For anyone who has seen FF live, their studio albums are NOT a letdown. I saw them play in Bloomington IN back in '06, and immediately purchased all their albums, and have not been disappointed by a single track. For anyone who has not seen them live, do so if you can - they're amazing.)
One more thing: If you listen to some Fiamma Fumana and like it, do an Amazon search for "Contatto." "Contatto" is Lisa Kant's remarkable solo album; but since it features her Fiamma Fumana cohorts providing instrumentation, hearing it is almost like discovering a lost FF album. See my review.
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OndaProduct Description: Fiamma Fumana Mixes Electronic and Contemporary Grooves with Traditional and Pop Music.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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This is a splendid collection of some of Carlo Buti's best songs.The voice is secure, accurate, but most importantly marvelous both in tone and technique. There are several other wonderful CDs of Carlo Buti favorites, and this one ranks high on the list.It is not an exaggeration to say that he never disappoints.One of Italy's finest popular tenors.Enjoy.
Keren Ann is one of those gems that are kept out of the spot light mainly because there is only a small audience for the magnificence she brings in her music. She doesn't get plastic surgery and doesnt try to fit into any type of music genre.