"When I started this project, I felt like I was answering an inner call. Everything I did musically was leading up to this moment" - Avi Avital

In his new album "Song of the Birds" for Deutsche Grammophon, mandolinist Avi Avital creates musical landscapes of three different geographical regions: Italy, Iberia and the Black Sea. Together with musical ambassadors from the regions and the nine musicians of his ensemble “Between Worlds”, he impressively interweaves folk music, traditional rhythms and classical compositions from the past and present.

Cantaora Marina Heredia from Spain, singer Alessia Tondo from southern Italy and the renowned Georgian choir Ensemble Rustavi bring centuries-old traditions and compositions by Béla Bartók, Manuel de Falla and Fazil Say to life.

“Song of the Birds” is a lively panorama of musical traditions between Italian tarantella, Andalusian folk songs and Georgian male choirs - a wonderful statement of cultural diversity, of collaboration across borders and, above all, of the unifying power of music.

Song of the Birds - the last track on the album - brings this musical journey to a poetic conclusion. The Catalan folk song, which became known worldwide through Pablo Casals' famous arrangement for solo cello, captures the universal longing for peace and hope in sound. Its gentle melody and timeless mood are an expression of what the ensemble wants to convey with its music. As Avi Avital says: "Like the birds, we carry the songs and stories of our collective memory into the world. This is our song. And our song is our message."

Tracklisting:

1.Traditional, Bruce: Tarantella di Sannicandro (feat. Alessia Tondo)

2.Traditional, Sousamoglou: Raiko

3.Traditional, García Lorca, Solinís: No. 10, Zorongo (feat. Marina Heredia)

4.Traditional, Keren: No. 3, Una matica de ruda

5.Taktakishvili: Chaguna (Arr. Bruce for Mandolin, Ensemble & Choir) (feat. Ensemble Rustavi)

6.Falla: Danza del juego del amor (Arr. Bruce for Mandolin, Vocals & Ensemble) (feat. Marina Heredia)

7.Traditional: Bella ci dormi (Arr. Segatta & Gozlan for Mandolin, Ensemble & Voice) (feat. Alessia Tondo)

8.Traditional, Keren: No. 2, Avre tu puerta cerrada

9.Taktakishvili: Didavoi Nana (Arr. Bruce for Mandolin, Ensemble & Choir) (feat. Ensemble Rustavi)

10.Traditional, Keren: Intro to No. 4, La Petenera

11.Traditional, Keren: No. 4, La Petenera (feat. Marina Heredia)

12.Traditional, Keren: No. 5, A la una yo naci

13.Traditional, Bruce: Virrinedda

14.Traditional, Bruce: To to to (feat. Alessia Tondo)

15.Taktakishvili: Chiche Tura (Arr. Bruce for Mandolin, Ensemble & Choir) (feat. Ensemble Rustavi)

16.Traditional, Keren: No. 1, Esta montaña d’enfrente

17.Say: Black Earth (Arr. Bruce for Mandolin & Ensemble)

18.Taktakishvili: Kuchkhi Bedineri (Arr. Bruce for Mandolin, Ensemble & Choir) (feat. Ensemble Rustavi)

19.Falla: No 4, Andaluza (Arr. Bruce for Mandolin & Ensemble) 

20.Traditional, Bruce: El cant dels ocells - CD Version