Imago

Personnel includes: Lorenza Ponce (vocals, violin).
Personnel: Lorenza Ponce (vocals, violin, electric violin); Kevin Kuhn (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Hugh McGracken (acoustic guitar); Nicky Skopelitis (electric guitar, baglama, oud, sitar); Jimi Zhivago (electric guitar); Maxine Roach (viola); Erik Friedlander (cello); Paul "Wix" Wickens (keyboards, programming); Kenny Thomas (keyboards, background vocals); Giovanni Fusco (keyboards); Lionel Cordieu, Shawn Pelton (drums); Bashiri Johnson (percussion, background vocals); Kara DioGuardi, Mike Pela (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Mike Pela.
Recording information: Chung King Studios, New York, NY; Tin Pan Alley Studio, New York, NY; Whitfield Street Studios, London, England.
Photographer: Andrew Southam.
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