Sicilian singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Luisa Briguglio, was born in Messina. She has led the southern Italian roots music ensemble PopulAlma since 2017. The ensemble released Cantu Forti (2019) and Spaccaventu (2022). Her stage work includes roles as actress and assistant director on Percée and Cantu e cuntu. In 2023, she joined El Colectivo and became lead vocalist of ‘Ngasa ‘Ngasa, recording the single “Safari.”
A series of music awards arrived in quick succession. She won the Ethnos Generations Award in October 2024 in San Giorgio a Cremano (Naples), took the Ethnos Generations 2025 award, and captured the 18th Andrea Parodi Award, a world music contest.
Briguglio released Truvatura, her debut solo album, on September 6, 2025, via Liburia Records / World. The eight-track set centers on original lyrics in the Sicilian dialect and explores themes of distance, belonging, and memory.
The new album was arranged and produced by Ernesto Nobili, with mixing and mastering by Fabrizio Romagnoli and Salvio Vassallo. Influences draw on troubadour traditions, southern Italian folk storytellers, and figures such as Rosa Balistreri and Otello Profazio, alongside nods to Sappho, Catullus, Horace, and an anonymous Spanish romance.
Tracks include opener “Figghia mia figghia,” closer “Navi,” and pieces “Notti,” “Quand je serai prête,” and “Petra e caminu,” a Sicilian adaptation of Atahualpa Yupanqui’s “Piedra y camino.”
The lineup features Ernesto Nobili on guitars. Guests include Bagarija Orkestar on brass (Sergio Dileo, Ciro Riccardi, Joe Zerbib); Cristiano della Monica on percussion; Matteo Nocera on drums; Denise Di Maria on charango; Giacomo Pedicini and France Duclaroir on double bass; and Francesco Di Cristofaro on duduk.
Discography:
Cantu Forti, with PopulAlma (2019)
Spaccaventu, with PopulAlma (2022)
Truvatura (Liburia Records, 2025)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.