Tangram

LISA DAMASCELLI | Oud, Guitar, and Vocals
DANIEL DAMASCELLI | Kora, Piano, Melodica, and Vocals

Tangram is a Chinese puzzle consisting of seven geometric shapes that can be assembled in various ways to create different figures. This is what the two Roman siblings attempt to do with their hybrid music, blending tradition and experimentation.

Lisa Damascelli, after years of classical and modern guitar studies, fell in love with the oud, a Middle Eastern lute. She delved into the world of modal music through Persian, Arab, and more recently, Turkish and Greek repertoires and techniques. She studied both in Italy and abroad, attending lessons and workshops with musicians such as Adel Salameh, Negar Bouban, Peppe Frana, Pejman Tadayon, Harris Lambrakis, Evgenios Voulgaris, Viktoria Taskou, Taxiarchis Georgoulis, Veka Aler.

Daniel Damascelli studied classical and modern piano. After a period of electronic music exploration, he discovered the kora, a 21-string harp from West Africa, traditionally played by griots, local storytellers. He had the opportunity to deepen his knowledge of the instrument in Senegal with the Diebate family, particularly with masters Madya, Mamadou, and Fabouly Diebate, and in Gambia in the Konteh-Jobarteh jalikunda with Tata Din Din Jobarteh, where he studied with Dembo and Pa Bobo Jobarteh.
In September 2020, they recorded their eponymous debut album together at the Echo Loco Recording Studio in Rome. The album encompasses sounds from Southern Italy, blues, jazz, and beyond. It represents an exploratory journey where geographies, musical styles, and inner landscapes that may seem distant find themselves in a dialogue. According to Lester, a music magazine from the capital, Tangram is like “the cradle of a torn passport (…) a journey homeward, in all directions.”