L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano L iscio music is a distinctly Italian s t y l e o f d a n c e m u s i c , w i t h a n important place in the social and cultural life of many regions of the coun- t r y , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t h e n o r t h ; b o r n i n E m i l i a - Romagna in the 19th cen- tury, liscio is a tradition, a form of popular entertain- m e n t , a n d a r e f l e c t i o n o f how the rhythms of rural and urban Italian society changed after the Unifica- tion and the industrializa- tion process, especially in the Pianura Padana area. Its n a m e , w h i c h m e a n s "smooth" in Italian, refers to the fluidity and grace of the dance steps it has always traditionally accompanied. The roots of liscio lie in the fusion of local folk tra- d i t i o n s w i t h i m p o r t e d European ballroom dan- ces: in the aftermath of the Napoleonic era, dances such as the polka, mazurka, and waltz began to spread throu- ghout continental Europe, including into the countrysi- de of northern Italy; while these dances were originally associated with the aristo- c r a c y a n d u p p e r - m i d d l e c l a s s e s , t h e y w e r e s o o n embraced and reinterpreted by the working classes, too, e s p e c i a l l y i n E m i l i a - Romagna. It was here that the rural population adop- t e d a n d i n t e g r a t e d t h e s e r h y t h m s i n t o t h e i r o w n musical and social customs, and created a uniquely Ita- lian version of dance music. By the second half of the 1 9 t h c e n t u r y , l i s c i o w a s b e c o m i n g t h e s t a n d a r d repertoire at village festi- vals, dance halls, and com- munity gatherings throu- g h o u t t h e P o V a l l e y ; i t then spread beyond Emilia- Romagna into neighboring regions like Veneto, Lom- bardia, and even parts of Tuscany. A liscio ensemble typically included the accor- dion, clarinet, violin, and l a t e r , t h e s a x o p h o n e a n d d r u m s . T h e a c c o r d i o n i n particular became the quin- tessential liscio instrument, both for its portability and its expressive range. With time, bands grew in size and professionalism, and the music developed in complexity, incorporating elements of jazz, swing, and even early forms of Italian popular song. Besides its musical mea- n i n g a n d h i s t o r y , i t i s i m p o r t a n t t o u n d e r s t a n d that liscio served a v i t a l social function: in a time when most Italians lived in r u r a l c o m m u n i t i e s a n d access to media was limited, l o c a l d a n c e s p r o v i d e d opportunities not only for entertainment but also for courtship, community bon- ding, and cultural expres- s i o n . T h e s e e v e n t s o f t e n c o i n c i d e d w i t h r e l i g i o u s festivals, agricultural mile- stones, and local holidays, which further grounded the music in communal life and, for young men and women, liscio dances were among the few socially acceptable v e n u e s f o r i n t e r a c t i o n : many marriages famously b e g a n w i t h a w a l t z o r a polka in a balera, the tra- ditional Italian dance hall. The 20th century brought n e w d e v e l o p m e n t s , b o t h m u s i c a l a n d c u l t u r a l . During the Fascist period, the regime promoted a cer- tain kind of nationalist folk culture, and liscio –with its regional roots and traditio- nal character – fitted well within this framework. But, at the same time, the music began to evolve stylistically, particularly after the Second World War, thanks to the influence of American swing and big band music, which introduced new instrumen- tation and syncopation into the genre. The liscio of the post-war period was livelier, more modern, and increa- s i n g l y p r o f e s s i o n a l i z e d : musicians began recording albums and performing on the radio, and the genre's most popular orchestras gai- ned national recognition. Among the most influen- tial figures in modern liscio history is Raoul Casadei, who inherited the Orche- s t r a C a s a d e i f r o m h i s uncle Secondo Casadei, a v i o l i n i s t a n d c o m p o s e r w i d e l y r e g a r d e d a s t h e f a t h e r o f m o d e r n l i s c i o . S e c o n d o h a d c o m p o s e d hundreds of pieces in the genre, including the iconic R o m a g n a M i a , w h i c h became a kind of unofficial a n t h e m o f t h e r e g i o n . Raoul, who took over the orchestra in the 1970s, infu- s e d l i s c i o w i t h a f r e s h energy and a pop sensibility t h a t e x p a n d e d i t s a p p e a l beyond traditional audien- c e s ; u n d e r h i s g u i d e , t h e Orchestra Casadei reached n a t i o n a l f a m e , b r i n g i n g l i s c i o i n t o I t a l i a n l i v i n g rooms through television appearances, summer tours, and mass-market records. T h e m u s i c n o w i n c l u d e d electric guitars, keyboards, and modern arrangements, yet it retained the funda- mental character that defi- ned it: music for dancing and for the community. In the late 20th century, liscio underwent a period of decline, as younger Italians i n c r e a s i n g l y g r a v i t a t e d toward international pop, rock, and disco. The image of liscio began to be seen by some as outdated or provin- cial, associated with older generations and rural life. Many balere closed, and the orchestras that once toured the country found it harder to attract younger audien- ces. However, the tradition did not disappear: in more recent times, there has been something of a revival of interest in liscio, both as a nostalgic cultural form and as a living tradition. Some young musicians and DJs have rediscovered the genre and incorporated its ele - ments into contemporary p e r f o r m a n c e . R e g i o n a l f e s t i v a l s a n d f o l k e v e n t s continue to celebrate the music, and television pro- grams still feature popular liscio bands, especially in central and northern Italy. Unlike many genres that are primarily for listening, liscio is meant to be danced to, which is, perhaps, what makes it still so special: it is participatory music, insepa- rable from the communal rituals of festivity, move- ment, and contact. It con- nects people, unites neigh- bors, and truly represents a fun – and distinctly Italian – sensibility for rhythm, joy, and sociability. Romagna mia! The passionate history of liscio, Italy's beloved ballroom tradition LUCA SIGNORINI The name "liscio," smooth, comes from the smoothness of the dancing associated with this music style (Image created with DALL-E 2) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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