Maria Mazzotta AMOREAMARO

Bitter love in all tones and colours

Maria Mazzotta is from the Salento region in southern Italy and can change the colour of her voice to the point where it makes you jump backwards. Her heart is not only on her tongue, but resides in every part of her mighty vocal apparatus. Bitter love, the theme of her new programme, lends itself perfectly to expressing the full range of emotions in shades. When she deploys a dramatic life song, she does not shy away from the grand gesture, but if a song calls for it, she can also paint raggedly with her voice. Surprise all around when she conjures up a sharp frayed edge immediately afterwards, but you only really roll off your chair when she completely unexpectedly sets up a crack you would rather expect from a hard rock or flamenco singer. Accordionist Antonino de Luca provides sparse or, on request, orchestral backing and, in the tradition of the tarantella from her native region, Mazzotta occasionally takes up the tambourine to accompany herself.