Ball of Wax 55 Songs: Jacopo Andreini – “9 borders to cross”

Jacopo Andreini‘s “9 borders to cross” is, alas, the only track on Ball of Wax 55 to come from outside the US border. Jacopo is Italian, but the music he makes crosses many borders, as you might guess from the title. If I had to guess, I’d say the instruments brought to bear – bouzouki, bendir, riqq – are played across many more than nine borders. There are no words here, but while listening it’s easy to imagine a long, dangerous journey from one harrowing situation to another in hopes of reaching something like safety or welcome – but without any guarantees on that front. In the US we tend to focus on the one border to the south that we see as a problem – whether with sympathy or antipathy to those trying to cross it. “9 borders to cross” reminds us that, for most refugees, many borders must be crossed, each filled with its own dangers and judgments. Many thanks to Jacopo for sending his music across so many borders to our ears.