black river ~ the single
When I was young, the matriarch of my family was a 4-foot 11-inch feisty 90-year-old named Filmena Venucchi Falardi, "Fanny" for short….my great grandmother. Born in Salerno, Italy in 1879, she immigrated to this country as a young girl.

Following the 2010 oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, I saw an interview with a young fisherman who just happened to have an Italian last name. He emotionally spoke of the loss of not only his livelihood but also a way of life and a sense of place that had sustained his family for five generations. I couldn't help but think of Fanny and what it might feel like to lose something that had been at the center of our family since she was a child.
This song was born from those feelings.

Gulf fishing grounds and wetlands have been tragically affected creating serious day-to-day struggles for many coastal families. These struggles will linger for years.
Please help if you can.
thanks & peace – jaime michaels