Maura Susanna - Terra Mia

Whilst I was at Valtournenche, my hostess Adelaide at B&B Pankeo gave me a CD of a local singer-songwriter, urging me to give it a good listen. Maura Susanna hails from St Vincent, in the main Aosta Valley, just where the Valtournenche branches of. It was fifteen years ago since she had recorded an album. Terra Mia is a varied and multi-lingual collection of canzone - in Italian, French and the local Francoprovençâl - which surveys fairly typical terrain.There are more than hints of Ornella Vanoni, Angelo Branduardi and french chansonnier(res) I am not able to name. But it's all very well done: songs are all of a piece, genuine, earthy, tastefully arranged. It's a genuinely pleasurable collection. There's more music in this album than in PJ's hyped Let England Shake. I listened to the disc numerous times on the way back and also spun it couple of times since my return. My two favourite songs are Outor du Vèn (based on a Chopin Prelude, op. 28, nr 20) and Sole Freddo (text and music by Maura herself).