I toss and turn

I Toss and Turn: the first single from Amanda Pascali’s upcoming release, Roses and Basil

Mi Votu e Mi Rivotu (I Toss and Turn) is the first song I ever translated. It's the song that started it all for me: the mission to translate and revitalize Sicilian folk songs. This song is likely centuries old, however, its subject matter is something that is still relatable now: not being able to sleep, perhaps because you miss or have lost someone you love. The arrangement is a nod to Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who wrote the soundtrack for the most iconic Western films of the 20th century (The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly).

Blurring the lines between cultures, I’ve created a sonic representation of myself: part US, part Italy. It’s a bilingual interpretation of a song that challenges the listener to contemplate their own regional and national identity amidst global influences.

Sicilian is on the UNESCO list of endangered languages. In order to preserve these songs in the future, I have decided to translate them into English; also as a way to introduce them and their beauty to the majority of the world.