Gypsy Flores - Friday's Global Village - 1 to 4 pm  CD of the month

I Muvrini - A Strada - AGFB Productions 2000 - 7243 5 25343 2

CD 1  1. Dumanda  2. Di  3. Un Sò Micca Venuti  4. Rispondimi Ie  5. Anu Lasciatu  6. Amsterdam  7. Quelli Chi Un Anu À Nimu  8. Tú Mi Dai A Manu  9. Un Possu Piú 10. Un Te Ni Scurda 11. Vó Lu Mondu 12. Rifa I Passi 13. À Voce Rivolta 14. Quantu Omu Pó 15. U Lamentu Di Filicone 16. Terre D'Oru 17. Senti U Niolu 18. A Strada Pulifunie

CD 2  1. Salve Sancta Parens  2. Paghjella  3. Kyrie  4. Ecco Bella  5. Lode Di U Sepolcru  6. Terzetti Di U Piuvanu  7. O Salutaris  8. Terra  9. Una Antra Matina 10. Requiem 11. Diu Vi Salvi Regina

From the first moment I heard I Muvrini's only release in this country, À Bercy (Mondo Melodia 96); I was struck by the power of their music. I knew I not only had to seek out more of their music; but the music of Corsica in general. They (and the music of Corsica) have become a regular feature of my Friday Global Village. Their most current c.d.s, "A Strada" and "Pulifunie" are a retrospective of their work of the past ten years or so (they have been recording as I Muvrini since the 80's). A Strada is a compilation of some of their "best original" songs and Pulifunie is in the traditional polyphonic style of singing of Corsica. The group is led by brothers, Jean-François and Alain Bernardini, who possess two of the most extraordinary voices I have ever heard. Alain has a sweet and clear voice that comes straight from his heart, while Jean-François, the composer and poet in the group, has a rich and emotionally packed voice that comes from deep in his soul. They sing in Corsican which (like Italian) is a beautiful and expressive language. They grew up in a small village in northern Corsica. Their father, Jules Bernardini, was a poet and singer. When Alan and Jean-François were children, their father taught them to sing and they performed with him on tiny stages outdoors in the villages of Corsica. In the late 1970's, they collaborated with the group U Cantu Populu Corsu. Later, they formed I Muvrini (Les Mouflons, in french) and originally recorded on the main Corsican label Ricordu. They now record on their own label--AGFB Productions. They are backed by a group of excellent musicians including Malagasy accordion player, Regis Gizavo, French hurdy-gurdy player, Gilles Chabenat and Corsican cetera player, Jean-Bernard Rongiconi. They also add the modern elements of keyboards, drums, and synthesizers to very good and tasteful effect. I Muvrini are Corsica's most popular and successful group both inside Corsica and in western Europe. Amazingly, they are almost unknown in the U.S.; but it is one of my goals in life to amend that!