Women of the World: Acoustic - Putumayo Presents
Released partly to celebrate International Women’s Day, a holiday recognized by the United Nations, these eleven unplugged tunes from as many female singers make wonderfully varied and pleasurable listening. And the performers’ backgrounds are equally fascinating. Some are comparatively well-known; Sandrine Kiberlain is a French movie star while The Wailin’ Jennys, from Canada, have appeared on Prairie Home Companion. Meanwhile, Emiliana Torrini, of Icelandic-Italian parentage, made her mark with “Gollum’s Song” from the second Lord of the Rings soundtrack. Others found their voices through travel–Luca Mundaca was born in Chile, irresistibly drawn to Brazil, and now lives in the USA. Marta Topferova has achieved such an effortless command of South American traditions that hardly anyone ever guesses that she is originally from the Czech Republic. As each lady in turn assumes center stage, she bewitches all comers with her own brand of adroitness, confidence and charm. Although the music is, for the most part, richly redolent of folkloric sources, many of the artists display a neo-cabaret sophistication that somehow never lapses into world-weariness. A final note: a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this album will be donated to the Global Fund For Women, a good cause if ever there was one.
