Cristina Donà
Live al "La Gabbia" di Bassano del Grappa (VI) – 10.01.2004

THE REVIEW

I have loved this artist since a friend prepared a tape of "Tregua" for me back in 1997. I greatly appreciate her for the sharpness of her lyrics, her lightness, the deceptive sweetness of her voice, capable of sudden peaks that pierce the silence with intense vibrations.
Intimate and measured concert, as always.
Tonight's lineup: guitar, double bass, and Cristina singing while playing the guitar, occasionally the keyboards (in "Volevo Essere Altrove", for instance, she performs the sparse piano accompaniment) and she also handles the rhythmic section on some pieces ("Ogni Sera" and "Le Solite Cose", if I remember correctly).

How beautiful it is to hear her voice live once more, what a wonder to lose oneself in her sweet timbre, clouded by a slight note of melancholy, as in "In Fondo Al Mare". Or hear her nervous and hysterical in "Triathlon" or again in "Ho Sempre Me", with the velvety and sensual voice that envelops you, caresses you, only to suddenly make you shiver with its changes in tone.
I am still amazed by the performance of "Senza Disturbare". Only Cristina Donà could maintain a monotonous and sparse guitar riff like this for almost four minutes, whispering, murmuring, playing with the modulation of her voice and the sharpness of the tone, portraying the role of this phantom "exploitative" examiner. Every time she performs it live, she invents something new...
Gentle and light tonight, even in her relationship with the audience. Refined and calm like her compositions, she seizes the opportunity between one piece and another for a few jokes (!). In the final part of "Mangialuomo", she even attempts a trumpet solo (as in the original version on "Nido"), but imitating it with her mouth, quite well actually: "these days you have to make do, it's more expensive to take a course than to improvise".

In short, the music was of good quality and the performer was supported and not overshadowed by the two accompanying musicians who honestly did their job.
Sophisticated, sweet, light, fragile but sometimes also ruthless, Cristina is the ideal performer to play in small smoky clubs, because she can transform a foggy evening into a seductive dream for a few lucky ones, like the approximately 200 tonight.
However, it would be nice to see her gain the rightful recognition that her skill deserves from a broader audience.
Will it happen sooner or later?

Tracklist:

Nido
Nel Mio Giardino
L'Ultima Giornata Di Sole
Invisibile
In Fondo Al Mare
Ogni Sera
Senza Disturbare
L'Aridità Dell'Aria
Mangialuomo
Goccia
Volevo Essere Altrove
Dove Sei Tu
Triathlon

Encore:
The Truman Show
Le Solite Cose
Ho Sempre Me (feat. Cesare Basile)