Gera Bertolone – Femmina (Sonora Recordings, distributed by Absilone, 2024)
Femmina, Gera Bertolone’s second album, will be released on October 18 in both CD and digital formats. The Sicilian-born, Paris-based singer-songwriter offers a deeply personal exploration of identity through 11 powerful tracks. Each song delves into universal themes like emigration, freedom, and the struggle for emancipation, all while presenting a kaleidoscopic view of womanhood.
Bertolone’s journey of self-discovery is evident throughout the album. Drawing inspiration from the rugged, mountainous landscapes of her native Sicily, Femmina is rooted in her childhood memories and her mother tongue. She describes each song as a portrait of women breaking free from societal constraints: “Love and desire are the driving forces of life. I speak about the incredible strength of women and their tireless fight for freedom; freedoms both defended and conquered.”
The album was preceded by two singles, “Abballati” (“Let’s Dance!”), released on September 6 and amassing over 70,000 views on YouTube, followed by “Figghia Mia” (“My Daughter”) on October 4. “Abballati” features passionate vocals, mesmerizing traditional beats and fiery electric guitar.
Meanwhile, “Figghia Mia” (“My Daughter”) is a tender lullaby with emotional depth. On “Figghia Mia,” Bertolone uses a recurring guitar loop and heartbeat-like percussion.
Bertolone’s music skillfully mixes electric guitar, amplified cello, and drums, creating a distinctive universe where the primal energy of her Sicilian roots meets modern influences. In pursuit of an organic, vital sound, she collaborated with a string quartet and a female choir, recording live using vintage techniques at Studio de Meudon. “Femmina represents the feeling of being a woman in its entirety, free from stereotypes, embodying authenticity,” Bertolone explains.
The album features a wide range of musical styles and emotions. “Amuri Ca Di Notti” (“Love at Night”) tells the story of a married woman haunted by her desires, while the rediscovered 1920s song “Sta Terra Nun Fa Pi Mia” (“This Land Is Not for Me”) reflects the isolation of emigration, capturing the complexities of leaving home for an uncertain future.
Other standout tracks include “La Notti Libertà” (“Night Freedom”), the album’s most symbolic piece, which Bertolone describes as a cathartic rise from inertia following a breakup. “Vinni a Cantari” (“I Came to Sing”) plays with harmonic dissonance and rock influences, while “La Tarantula” nods to the traditional Sicilian tarantella, embodying the album’s themes of liberation through movement and trance rhythm.
Femmina is a bold statement of independence and creative freedom. Bertolone, a self-described “Sicilian woman who belongs to no church,” stands apart from contemporary trends, delivering a mesmerizing, rebellious opus that urges listeners to break free from societal limitations and embrace their true selves.
On this album, Gera Bertolone (voice, clarinet) is accompanied by Guillaume Arbonville (drums and percussion), Mauro Basilio (cello), Roberto Stimoli (guitars). Arrangements for the string quartet in “Amuri ca de notti” & “Canzuna” composed by Diana Buscemi. String quartetlineup: Sandra Langlois and Mathilde Lanfranchi (violins), Evan Mut (viola) and Jean-Christophe Masson (cello). Choir in “Figghia mia”: Mina Aghakhani, Juliette Diniz Silva, Angelina Ferrari, Lily Michel.
The artistic production of the album is by Gera Bertolone & Jean-Philippe Perrot. Recorded and mixed by Sami Bouvet at Le Studio de Meudon, mastered by Alexis Bardinet at Globe Audio Mastering, Bordeaux.
Gera Bertolone, born in the mountainous heart of Sicily, is a versatile artist: a singer, composer, arranger, producer, and virtuoso clarinetist. Since 2009, she has resided in Paris. From an early age, she demonstrated a rebellious, nonconformist nature, resisting authority and conventional rules.
Drawn to the wilderness and solitude, Bertolone independently decided at the age of 7 to learn the clarinet. As a teenager, she performed with various bands, quickly crafting a distinctive musical style. Her debut album, La Sicilienne, was released in 2015, featuring modern arrangements and deeply personal interpretations that have since become her signature.
Song descriptions:
Muri Ca Di Notti (Love at Night) is a nighttime song of desires by an unhappily married woman. She begs her imaginary lover not to haunt her again. “In this piece, I tried to confront opposites: the electric guitar for example comes to dialogue at the limit of dissonances with the magnificent arrangement for string quartet of Diana Buscemi.”
Figghia Mia (My Daughter) is a lullaby, a song of liberation, a recurring guitar loop with cello and percussion in counterpoint like a beating heart. This ends with a choir of young women in the spirit of Arvo Pärt.
Sta Terra Nun Fa Pi Mia (This Land Is Not for Me) is the rediscovery of a song about migration from the 1920s by Rosina Gioiosa Trubia. It reflects the complex feelings of isolation and dislocation experienced by many people when they find themselves in an unstable situation in a new land, despite the many efforts to adapt.
Canzuna (Song) is a very personal song. “The lyrics were born one night I was alone by a lake. It’s an intimate acoustic ballad by a classical guitar and wrapped in a string quartet.“
U Muccaturi (The Handkerchief) It’s a very pop-folk title with at times also sounds of Africa… and a few notes from Gera’s clarinet: “for me, it’s the idea of an imaginary start to the South.”
La Notti Libertà (Night Freedom) is undoubtedly the most symbolic piece of this album: “Today life pushes me to rise from a long night of inertia to liberate my destiny.” This cathartic title speaks of the moment when, after a break-up, we can finally find ourselves.
Vinni A Cantari (I Came to Sing) is constantly on the breach of harmonic dissonances and with rock sounds. “I come back here to remind you our pact of love, even if it means waiting for you, even if it means killing me.”
Ti Vurria Vasari (I Would Like to Kiss You) sings the distance with the beloved, an imaginary journey through air and water…
Binidissi Lu Jornu (I Would Bless the Day) is an ancient lullaby about the happiness of motherhood. In trio, voice, guitar, and cello. It’s a song full of intimate emotions, which one can sing or murmur.
lastly, La Tarantula (The Tarantula) is a nod to the Sicilian tradition of the tarantella, a cathartic dance.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
