This is the first solo album for violinist Lorenza Ponce, who is probably best known from her 1994-95 tour with Kitaro. On Imago, she wrote the music and lyrics for all songs and instrumentals. Ponce has a clear, silky voice, slightly breathy, but her voice is not unique. And polished by electronics, it is perhaps a bit too polished; the lyrics all but disappear in the mix. What really stands out is her violin work, which is featured on many of the tracks. "Isle of Arran" is a gutsy Middle East- or Israeli-inspired piece that showcases the strength of her violin tones and the fluidity of her ornamentation. "Masquerade" flies with long rhapsodic lines, and "Give It to the Sea" grips the heart with longing. Ponce's songs have an international flavor expressing themes of memories, longing, finding inner peace, salvation, and the fragile beauty of the earth.
© Carol Wright /TiVo