WOMAD

Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri

From United Kingdom

For most people, being the first European artist to sign for Motown might be a pressure too strong to bear. Add to that being one half (with a certain Elton John) of one of the biggest hits of the 1970s and it could all be too much. But Kiki Dee has never been one to bow under the weight of expectation. Now, in the autumn of her career but with that crisp voice still beautifully intact, she’s quietly making some very mature, considered music which, for the past nine years, has been in the company of guitarist Carmelo Luggeri. The fruits of their pairing are often stripped-down and sensual, as suggested by the title of their debut album, Almost Naked. While that release boasted just guitar and vocals recorded live, its follow-up, Where The Rivers Meet, was an altogether more produced affair, a haunting album that suggested, through its employment of Indian drones and tablas, a fascination with Eastern music. Releasing albums on their own label has certainly been beneficial, freeing the pair from the straightjacket of record company politics. Now, they’re operating on their own time and to their own tune, making the music they want to make. This time it’s personal.