Manuela Iori

Fil Rouge Project

A project born from the creative chemistry between Manuela Iori and Maria Teresa Leonetti, where words and music weave emotional landscapes.

The thread that binds us

Fil Rouge was born in 2015 from the emotional resonance between singer and lyricist Maria Teresa Leonetti and pianist-composer Manuela Iori: two sensibilities translating the same mood—melancholic yet energetic—into lyrics and music. The line-up is completed by trumpet, drums, and double bass, adding rhythmic drive and timbral depth.

In June 2024 AlfaMusic released their second album L'Île Noire, an introspective journey that explores the many facets of human identity. The record features two special guests: maestro Javier Girotto on Tango Romanesco and Senegalese griot Badara Seck on Les villes cachées, further expanding the project's sonic horizon.

Every Fil Rouge performance is an interplay of stories, dynamics, and colours that renew the encounter between jazz, singer-songwriter traditions, and improvisation.

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Press quotes

“A work that stands out for its refined musical research.”

Francesco Mirenzi - Vinile

“Fil Rouge Project is led by two explosive female talents.”

Edoardo Semmola - Corriere Fiorentino

“They have brought this intense album to life.”

Guido Festinese - Il Manifesto

“Crossover, Mediterranean music that manages to be both light and heart-rending.”

Beppe Ceccato - Musicabile TGCOM24

“How can you confine records with such openness to the world within the few lines of a review?”

Paolo Tocco - Raro Più

“Finding a collection capable of conveying such a variety of moods with such intensity is truly rare… Track after track the album sweeps you away in a blend of introspection and innovation that goes far beyond what we're used to.”

Francesco Simone - I Love Magazine

“In L'Île Noire our artists give voice to a universal lyricism through spacious harmonies and sophisticated arrangements.”

Fabrizio Ciccarelli - Roma InJazz

“...L'Île Noire, an album by Fil Rouge Project, far removed from anything banal. Track after track feels like witnessing a stream of consciousness, a river of emotions that engulfs you in truly singular impressions.”