BRT Presents: Zafarán

Zafarán crosses time and boundaries and incorporates musical traditions from around the Mediterranean, weaving together such diverse threads as Southern Italian chants, Sephardic love songs, Romani laments, and Turkish and Greek folk tunes. With driving rhythms, virtuosic improvisation, and the powerful voice of award-winning Italian singer Carmen Marsico, Zafarán bridges languages and cultures with their own eclectic blend of musical styles, combining deep traditions with original songs and ideas.

Formed in 2020 as a border-crossing collaboration between musicians from Italy, Sweden, and the United States, this international ensemble is based in Boston and Rome.

Zafarán recorded its first album in Rome in 2022, and this will be the R.I. release of their new self-titled CD. Carmen Marsico is joined by Dan Meyers on recorders, flutes and more, Giuseppe Paradiso, an innovative Italian percussionist and singer, and Tev Stiveg, a multi-instrumentalist and plucked string specialist.

The word “zafarán” comes from Arabic via old Persian, meaning “yellow” or “saffron.” The most precious of all spices, saffron has been cultivated in the Mediterranean basin since ancient times. In Lucania, Carmen’s native region, the local dialect uses “zafarán” to refer to the long, sweet red peppers from Senise, famous throughout Italy and beyond.