In review---Sardinia and the Sea
Franca Masu 10 Anys Aramùsica Once in a while a new diva crosses my path which is the case with Sardinian jazz vocalist Franca Masu who sings her repertoire in the Catalan language. So not only am I discovering a new vocal talent (to my ears), but I also discovered a Catalan connection to the Italian island of Sardinia. If you go back hundreds of years, you’ll discover a goldmine of cultural and language connections in the Mediterranean, but for the sake of this review my goal is to pique your curiosity. Closet anthropologists similar to me will dig right in. Franca Masu marks the first female Sardinian vocalists I have listened to, but she’s not the first chanteuse that I’ve reviewed that sings in the Catalan language, Mariana Rossell (Barcelona) and Maria del Mar Bonet (Majorca) come easily to mind. Masu weds jazz vocals with traditional instruments on her live album 10 Anys . Masu’s vocals alternate between sedate/tender on Aquamare and ...