Peaking at #15 on The Roots Music Report's Top 50 World Album Chart back in January, 2022, it was a delight to hear  Stefano Saletti & Banda Ikona sing their stories of the “tenacious Mediterranean and its ancient, resilient people” accompanied by a variety of string, wind and percussion instruments. Multi-instrumentalist Stefano Saletti plays bouzouki, oud, saz, guitar, tzouras, gambrì, cavaquinho, piano, bodhran, darbouka, tammorra and marranzano. Other band members layer clarinet, sax, bass and various drums into the mix, while guests color arrangements with occasional violin, organetto, ney, daf, ciaramella, cello, percussion and added vocals. At track 3, “Boulegar” even enlists the Baobab ensemble for a full choir of vocalizing.

Opening the set with “Anima de Moundo,” the vocals of Barbara Eramo and Yasemin Sannino sweetly  converse with Alessandro D'Alessandro’s organetto and Renato Vecchio’s ciaramella (Italian bagpipes). Another track receiving good airplay is the reflective, slower-tempo’ed ballad, “Canterrante’ that sensuously features Lucilla Galeazzi’s vocals, Riccardo Tesi’s organetto, and Giovanna Famulari’s cello. The title track, “Mediterraneo Ostinato” speaks of people who are stubborn, combative, obstinate and refuse to give up. It may have some socio-political meaning to address new forms of injustice, marginalization and a growing gap between the wealthy and poor.   

While hints of traditional music enter the set (“Nare Nare” and “Se Fossi Foco”), the majority is contemporary acoustic world music, written by Saletti, with folk, ethnic and current perspectives. It seems that Mediterraneo Ostinato is a manifesto of a possible new “Mediterranean Power” that draws from an artistic culture of the past to present a hopeful, optimistic, connected future full of heart and soul.

The unique lyrics are sung in Sabir, an ancient Mediterranean language revived in Saletti’s original compositions inspired by the region’s literature and poetry. It was a language used by sailors, pirates, fishermen, merchants and ship-owners to communicate with one another, availing itself of terms from Spanish, Italian, French and Arabic. A project to unite the peoples of the Mediterranean, its soothing feel might also have a calming effect on the world at large, something that is much needed at this time in our global history.

As the album closes with “Maréia” (featuring only bouzouki and cello) and then“Cantar,” we feel somewhat like ancient travelers ourselves, ever discovering links to the past, encountering fresh insights, and exploring new environments. Stefano Saletti and Banda Ikona will no doubt continue their performing, recording and touring to take their musical statements about the need for collaboration and unification to an even larger global audience. More info at: http://www.finisterre.it  (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)