Elina Duni Quartet

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Elina Duni

This morning, while taking some time to find new and inspiring music, I came across singer/songwriter Elina Duni.

Born in Tirana (Albania) during the communist regime, she left her home country in 1992 after the fall of the regime and moved to Switzerland.

Between 2004 and 2008 she studied voice and composition at the Hochschule der Künste Bern, in the jazz department. During this time she founded the Elina Duni Quartet with Colin Vallon on piano, Patrice Moret on double bass and Norbert Pfammatter on drums – which represents a return to her musical sources, a combination of Balkan folk songs and jazz.

Duni found her route to Albanian songs after forays into classical music, blues and jazz standards. Digging deeper into the Balkan region’s troubled history, she has uncovered many songs of real beauty and power, older songs from her homeland and from its vast diaspora.

Her latest CD Matanë Malit (ECM) includes songs of lovers, heroes, workers, shepherds, exiles, songs of resistance.

Albums
2008, Baresha
2010, Lume Lume
2011, Melanchology (guest by french pianist and composer André Manoukian)
2012, Matanë Malit

Sources