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It's quite easily possible that you don't recognise the name Emiliana Torrini, but it's highly unlikely that you've never experienced her work before. She performed the 'Gollum song' in the blockbuster Lord of the Rings: the two Towers and penned the number one hit 'Slow' for Kylie Minogue.
Emiliana is half Icelandic, half Italian. She is currently promoting her new album 'Fisherman's Women', a move away from the trip-hop style of 'Love in the Time of Silence', to a soothing album, with her voice at the forefront, accompanied by the peaceful sound of an acoustic guitar.
She comes across on stage with impressive charm, born from her innate timidity. There is a stark contrast between the way she performs her songs and the way she engages with the audience. As a person Emiliana comes across shy, full of nerves but endearing at the same time. None of her charm is lost in her performance, but her nerves seemed to have been replaced with a new-born confidence.
It would be easy to sweep Emiliana into a stereotyped genre of dawdling, monotonous female solo artists, who deliver music best suited to bored housewives. However, it doesn't feel right to do that with Emiliana. Her music is touching, personal and unashamedly honest.
The pastoral beauty encapsulated by songs like 'Fisherman's Women' and 'Sunny Road' is amplified in her live performance. The gentleness of the lyrics are complemented by Emiliana's distinctive voice. Her vocals are childlike, an appearance aided by her charming manner. Lyrically she couldn't be more dissimilar, especially on tracks like 'Serenade' where her gentles musings show a telling degree of wisdom. "And the heart bears indentations, Of yesterdays hurting child".
Throughout the entire performance the crowd was quiet, but appreciative. A conversation between two members of the audience was brought to an abrupt halt when Emiliana told them, plainly and simply to shush, provoking an immediate cheer from the rest of the crowd.
I can quite easily say King Tut's is the most intimate venue I have ever been to. I couldn't think of anywhere else that would capture the beauty of Emiliana's voice in such a way. There were numerous requests for Emiliana to play songs from her previous album. She apologetically turned down these requests, giving the reason that it just 'wouldn't feel right' to play them. You cannot help but get the impression that Emiliana writes, sings and performs because she wants to. She is clearly passionate about her work and as an artist.
I left the gig assuring myself that this won't be the last time I see Emiliana perform. I strongly believe that she has a lot more to contribute, both as a singer and a songwriter. It was refreshing to see someone so honest on stage. There are plenty of performers in the world and many of them are very good at what they do. On the other hand, there are very few artists that perform with the honesty and sincerity of Emiliana Torrini.
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article by: Scott Johnson
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| published: 13/04/2005 09:09 |
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