Ball of Wax 48: Katacomb Trio – “Puttana di Tu Mà”

This is a very honest take of Rosa Balistreri’s “Buttana di To Mà.” A quick google of the title will inform you that it translates to ‘mother fucker,’ or more literally ‘whore of your mother’. This version is arguably more dramatic then even Rosa’s versions of the song. The singer, Giacomo Sferlazzo, immediately lets you in on the fact that this song is about betrayal. And the agony is ever apparent in his voice throughout. When the call went out for Ball of Wax 48 for songs in languages other then English, Sicilian was not a language which I imagined would get taken up. For us Americans whose culture is often caught up in itself, this Ball of Wax has helped to shine the spotlight away from ourselves. And with “Puttana di Tu Mà.” Katacomb Trio does so brilliantly, highlighting an island known for violence and tenderness all at the same time.