Tag Archive: Verucchio


Agnes Obel

AGNES OBEL / THONY – Sagrata Della Collegiata, Verucchio festival 17th July 2013

Sometimes it’s hard to put your finger on what makes one singer transcendent and another merely tepid.

Ostensibly, Thony and Agnes Obel have a lot in common.

Both are independent women in their early 30s whose songs linger in a territory someway between contemporary folk and adult orientated pop.

They each have voices that could make them X-Factor finalists and neither sing in their native languages.

Yet there’s a yawning gulf between these two artists – Thony is bland and predictable; Agnes Obel is fresh and transporting. Continue reading

Toumani Diabaté not at the office

The consistently excellent Verucchio Festival takes place every year in picturesque open air venues in a small hilltop town near Rimini in Emilia Romagna. The varied line up this year with two concerts a night includes Blonde Redhead, Seth Lakeman, José Gonsalez and an electronic night with BJ Neilsen & Hildur Gudnadottir.

The must see for me this year was Toumani Diabaté whose virtuoso kora playing I’ve long admired. Continue reading