Blind Boy De Vita Reaches Another Harbour

“Ship Docking” is part one of a new album from Italo-Swiss space-blues maestro Blind Boy De Vita. The album, entitled “La Zattera” (Italian for “raft”), is spread across two EPs, the first of which was released on 17 June 2022 by Mouthwatering Records.

Born and raised in Southern Italy, Blind Boy De Vita, aka Glauco Cataldo, started his musical life by playing along to Nirvana and Eric Clapton records. He has journeyed far, both metaphorically and literally, since those early days. A passionate traveller, he has formed strong links with musicians in Brazil, Senegal and many other places. Based in Switzerland for many years now, he travels to recharge his batteries. “I regularly leave my safe-space in Switzerland”, he said in an interview, “and travel to different places near and far with my guitar, and some clothes, and that’s it. That keeps me fresh and creative, I’ve never had any writer’s block.”

The first thing that strikes you about Blind Boy de Vita’s extraordinary take on the blues is his voice, a rich bass-baritone that ranges from a quasi-Tuvan rasp to an easy-on-the-ear croon that would go nicely with a bossa nova. The actual music is no less unusual. Nimbly played and recorded by himself with various mostly acoustic guitars and percussion, he rarely sticks to a straight-forward arrangement, with vocal and guitar lines constantly interweaving and going off in unexpected new directions. Occasionally, a hint of flamenco or Brazil or Senegal or even a becalmed Captain Beefheart will shine through. Whilst it is not quite clear why Blind Boy De Vita decided to split his album in two parts, part one most definitely whettens the appetite for part two.

Blind Boy De Vita
Mouthwatering Records