Video interview with Serena Brancale finally landed on the record market with her new album, SACREDwhich arrives several years later, since social media became aware of her with Salted cod.
SACRED it contains everything that 'La Zia' has published in recent years, without skipping anything because everything is part of the journey and the story. A story that took a long time to develop because, by his own admission, he was waiting to have and find within himself a song like the one from Sanremo 2026 or even To My Countrywhich he later closed with Levant And Delia Buglisi.
Serena Brancale and the SACRO album: “I was waiting to find a song like Qui Con Me inside me”
To our microphones, the singer-songwriter with a jazz background but now fully immersed in pop and folk reality, told us about the sensations and ambitions linked to her new recording:
“Finally everyone can listen to these tracks that I kept to myself for four years, including songs that I wrote even before Baccalà. I was waiting for those important pieces for me like Qui Con Me to appear. From that moment on I wrote other songs, like Al Mio Paese, and I closed a huge work with 16 tracks.
There are some guests that I hoped would accept and they did, to enrich an album you aim for the maximum and when you receive confirmation from artists like Gregory Porter and Omara Portuondo at that point you can close the work.
Working with legends like them, like Alborosie and Richard Bona is magical and you don't ask yourself too many questions about how to unite them, you just do it. SACRO is a perfect title because the story of my family is sacred, it is sacred to play with music, it is sacred to bring myself into the world of folk.”
What was it like transitioning into this world from jazz?
“I asked myself a few questions, I cleared away a lot of doubts that didn't make me live lightly and now I enjoy the journey. I made a mistake many times in not doing it before, I felt judged because coming from more classical studies it was difficult to think of being able to do mixed things.
Three years ago I wanted to dance, put a speaker in 4 at the Auditorium and that's where I felt the need to change everything. I met Dropkick and when we made that famous video in Baccalà's car I told myself that I liked myself in this guise.”
In recent days there has been talk about Al Mio Paese, all sorts of things have been said. Tell it yourself:
“It's a simple song dedicated to all the non-locals and we wanted to tell how beautiful it is to return to your own country. It's full of clichés, they are images that I remember and that I miss. That stuff there are images that warm your heart, the three of us found ourselves in this and we wanted to demonstrate and celebrate this return home.
It's right that everyone has their say. Yesterday I made a video singing the theme song from the advert, they say it sounds similar to us and I'm grateful. For me it's beautiful. Musically it's nothing like it, maybe the tempo, but it's right to be self-deprecating and I'm happy that people find something to talk about. As long as we talk about it… (laughs, ed.)”
What would you like listeners to take away from Sacred?
“I would like people to listen to the album and imagine themselves in Cuba, imagining a party because I'm very playful and I want to entertain others.”
