Cristina Donà
Tregua
Mescal s.r.l.

Few words should be enough to sum up a good concert for the promotion of Tregua which I saw and experienced some days ago:

"A long black dress, a long stem of rose twisted around the microphone stand, and a wonderful voice ideally representing a lacking rosebud."

Cristina Donà along with few other girls such as Ginevra Di Marco (of the CSI), Carmen Consoli and Mara Redeghieri (of the Üstmamo'), makes the panorama of the Italian female voices, which is generally dominated by unsuccessful clones and by mere rhetoric, less gloomy or desolate. Few are the artists who, avoiding being made instruments of tested and sterile standard models in search for easy success and money, give free vent to their energy and fantasy thus experimenting with new lyrics and a kind of music which best mirrors their inner-worlds .... if only there would be more of them! Cristina Donà is indeed an interesting surprise!

After the concert, during an informal interview in her changing room, she spoke about her reference points: Fossati and the best Paolo Conte about Italy, Springsteen, Michelle Shocked and mostly Joni Mitchell of Blue album, looking abroad.

At times, during her live concert, it is like listening to and watching P.J.Harvey or Patti Smith. By the way, to the latter she dedicates "Piccola Faccia", written after reading an article on her recent revival. However, apart from these comparisons, which are sometimes unbearable if manipulated by the Press, Cristina Donà is genuine and original: this is the reson for her fine performances.

What about Tregua? The lyrics are terse but full of images, emotions and thoughts. The arrangements are wonderful, at times linearly acoustic or full of the enchantments of Manuel Agnelli (of the Afterhours), who attended to the artistic production of the record by conveying the effective tension of the text.

Among the best songs, surely we can mention: Stelle buone a description of positive love, Solite cose about apathy and confusion, Senza disturbare which is very evocative, only with voice and bass-line, and Tregua, dedicated to Kurt Cobain, overwhelmed by excesses: too much breaks the bag and kills.

Remember: the record is produced by Mescal, the same record company as the "La Crus", a group whose concerts Cristina Donà used to open last year and she worked with for the production of "Dentro Me", a record which, in my opinion, is connected with "Tregua" as toor its contents and framework.

As usual now one of my favs ...

from Stelle buone

Il tuo cuore e' un mare calmo
e non basta una sola notte
per attraversarlo
sono pronta per riaverti
ancorato al mio respiro
mentre il sole svanisce
e l'ombra disegna il tuo profilo

Your heart is a calm sea
and only a night isn't enough
to cross it
I'm ready to have you again
tied to my breath
while sun fades away
and a shadow draws your profile

[Co-writers of this review: Maria Pluchinotta and Sergio Branciforti.]

Copyright © 1997 Mario Branciforti