College is a time for students to expand their horizons. Many students travel out of the country for the first time through study abroad and service opportunities. There, they gain a greater appreciation for other cultures and the new experiences they offer.

Many students come back from their excursions toting CDs featuring various international artists. With ranging language abilities, listeners may find many of the lyrics unintelligible, but this does not diminish the profound affect the music can have on a person.

Some artists, like Shakira, find their ways to international fame, including a large American following, by incorporating English as well as their native languages into their music. Others wait to be discovered by those who visit their fair countries.

Carmen Consoli is one of these other artists. Hailing from Cantania, Italy, she grew up listening to American music. When she started her first band at the age of 14, the budding musician sang covers of artists like Otis Redding, Tina Turner, Jefferson Airplane and Janis Joplin. After much hard work writing and then recording, she released her first album Amore di Plastica in 1996.

Since her debut 10 years ago, Consoli has matured significantly, both in age and musicianship. Her most recent album, Eva Contro Eva, was released in June and differs from the singer's previous albums in many ways, the most notable being the replacement of electric guitar with acoustic.

While her first five albums could be compared to Alanis Morissette and Ani DiFranco, her sixth is much less brooding and more soulful than ever before. She deals with deeper subject matter than young love and angst. In Eva Contro Eva, Consoli addresses her Sicilian roots and culture, evidence of which is found in many aspects of her music. The mixture of ethnic instruments from several countries especially adds to the beauty of this music.

In her lyrics, Consoli divulges more about her life and her country and culture, reflecting on them and what they mean to her. Her songs tell the stories of people who have been brought down in some way, and others who have been lifted up.

The vocalist's ability to take on the role of a storyteller, much like American folk singer Joni Mitchell, is astounding. Even without being able to understand the language, listeners will have no trouble understanding the feelings behind the words sung in Eva Contro Eva.

Impressively, Consoli has done all of her work in her native language of Italian, instead of conforming to the often commercially-driven incentive to produce music in other languages. This facet adds to the authenticity of Consoli's sound, and with the aid of lyric translations in the disc's jacket, listeners can appreciate both the singer's sound as well as the words it powers.

Whether it is through visiting another country or attending a performance by a foreign artist, it is important to experience different cultures and be open to new music. Now is a great time to experiment and listen to artists never heard of before. Consoli's latest musical endeavor provides an excellent bridge from American musicians to international artists.

4 out of 5