Savina Yannatou: Watersong

Savina Yannatou, vocals; Lamia Bedioui, vocals; Kostas Vomvolos, qanun, accordion; Harris Lambrakis, nay; Kyriakos Gouventas, violin; Yannis Alexandris, oud; Dine Doneff, double bass, percussion

On her fifth album for the ECM Records label, Greek singer Savina Yannatou explores the theme of water in its myriad forms. Water as a vital resource, a symbol of purification and spiritual rebirth, but also a deadly force in its elemental power. The starting point for the project is Shakespeare’s play The Tempest – more specifically Ariel’s song Full Fathom Five and its motifs about the sea’s power to bring about surprising transformations.

This richness and strangeness find their embodiment in the musical interpretation. On the album Watersong, Savina Yannatou gracefully traverses countless cultures and dialects – this time drawing on Greek, Cypriot, Corsican, Spanish, Italian, English, and Irish musical sources. A German radio programme has recently described her as a “time traveller”, also hailing her as a trailblazer in avant-garde world music. The musical horizon expands even further when Savina is joined by Tunisian singer Lamia Bedioui. Though distinct, their voices intertwine to create an atmosphere or rare magic. On Watersong, Bedioui personifies the world of the desert, where Arabic and Bedouin dialects meet the languages of Mediterranean Europe and beyond.

A highlight of the album Watersong is the interlacing of the African-American gospel melody Wade in the Water with the traditional Egyptian song Allah Musau (God of Moses) – two pieces about escape and spiritual liberation. Savina Yannatou and Lamia Bedioui.