Sabatum Quartet
Margiu Profumato

Debut album for this band already known to the local audience and fans of the genre well before its release. It is a work that reflects the standards of Calabrian taranta, while presenting features that distinguish it from the movement, making it original.

Firstly, the absence of keyboard instruments (especially accordions and organetti that usually dominate the genre), the strong presence of the flute played by the talented Rosa Mazzei, who, along with the mandolin and ever-present tambourines, has characterized this ambitious musical project from the start. Bassist Michele Petrone stands out, a musician who graduated from the conservatory in the city of Bruzia and is already a respected and well-known professional of the mentioned instrument and beyond. A unique aspect is the abandonment of the traditional drum set, replacing it with various percussion instruments among which, in addition to the aforementioned classic tambourines, the Peruvian cajon stands out (certainly not a typical instrument of Calabrian music).

Tradition and innovation blend together in the rhythms and melodies of this album, where traditional folk songs and original pieces alternate, maintaining an overall homogeneous and engaging sound. The highlights of the album are reached in the title track, which over time has become the band's most famous piece, a hypnotic piece characterized by sweet melodies supported by a fitting and obsessive rhythm; in the tracks "Amuri" and "'A Giustizia," slow and vaguely Spanish-style ballads, also characterized by lyrics of certain depth and, instrumentally speaking, in the tracks "Strummulu" and "A Magaria."

Overall, a very enjoyable and harmonious album that exudes Calabria from every pore and represents a good starting point for the band to carve out a prominent place in the field of regional ethnic music and beyond.