She’s been compared to everyone from Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge to Tom Waits, Lyle Lovett and Janis Joplin… Singer/songwriter Rita Chiarelli, affectionately known as The Canadian Goddess of the Blues, is a consummate musician whose style defies definition. On her newest CD, Cuore: The Italian Sessions, Chiarelli makes a dramatic departure from her usual repertoire, moving beyond the blues arena to delve into her roots. Recorded live at The Unitarian Hall in Thunder Bay, the album features an assortment of old Italian folk songs, from the classic “Chitarra Romana” to the more popular “Dicitencello Vuje”. It showcases Chiarelli’s vocal range as she weaves effortlessly through stories of love, heartbreak, cultural invasion, and the beauty of Rome. Whether versed in the language or not, one cannot help but to sense the meaning of each song, as it is felt in the heart. Cuore: The Italian Sessions will be released in September 2006, with CD launches scheduled for Toronto, Hamilton, Orillia, and Thunder Bay.