L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE D escribing the tammurria- ta as a tradi- t i o n a l d a n c e i s r a t h e r reductive, and it only par- tially explains what it repre- s e n t s i n C a m p a n i a ; rather, we can consider it a shared social practice that b r i n g s t o g e t h e r m u s i c , movement, devotion, and community life, even if it doesn't have a standardized f o r m . I n s t e a d , i t t a k e s shape within specific places and occasions, particularly t h o s e l i n k e d t o r e l i g i o u s feasts and is often used as a form of participation and a symbol of collective memo- ry. T h e n a m e i t s e l f c o m e s from the tammorra, the large frame drum that pro- vides the rhythmic base of the practice. While similar drums are found in other parts of Southern Italy, the tammorra is closely associ- ated with particular areas o f C a m p a n i a , e s p e c i a l l y those around the Vesuvius and the inland territories of the Agro Nocerino-Sar- nese. Characterized by its s t e a d y a n d i n s i s t e n t rhythm, it is designed to support long stretches of m u s i c a n d h a s a v e r y important role in the tam- murriata because, beside leading the dance, it also structures the space, regu- lates the tempo, and coor- d i n a t e s t h e i n t e r a c t i o n b e t w e e n m u s i c i a n s , d a n c e r s , a n d t h o s e g a t h - ered around them. Tradi- tionally, the tammorra is made with a wooden frame, animal skin, and metal jin- gles, and it is played using t h e h a n d s r a t h e r t h a n sticks, producing a rhyth- m i c p a t t e r n t h a t r e p e a t s a n d e v o l v e s g r a d u a l l y . S i n g i n g u s u a l l y d e v e l o p s alongside the drum, often i n a c a l l - a n d - r e s p o n s e form, with lyrics that may b e d e v o t i o n a l , l o c a l , o r improvised, in a mirror of the moment and the people involved. This flexibility is central to the tammurriata, which is all about adapt- ability and improvisation. One of the most distinc- tive aspects of this tradition is its close connection to religious devotion, par- t i c u l a r l y M a r i a n w o r - ship: any of the settings in which it is performed are usually tied to annual feasts at local shrines, events that bring together pilgrimage, prayer, and social gather- ing. These celebrations are sometimes grouped under t h e i n f o r m a l l a b e l o f t h e Sette Sorelle, in reference to a cycle of Marian feasts that take place across Cam- pania between spring and summer. A key example is the feast of the Madonna dell'Arco, celebrated on E a s t e r M o n d a y n e a r Naples, when thousands of p i l g r i m s w a l k l o n g d i s - tances to reach the sanctu- ary, often as part of a vow; groups arrive carrying ban- n e r s , w e a r i n g t r a d i t i o n a l c l o t h i n g , a n d s i n g i n g a s t h e y m o v e t o w a r d t h e s h r i n e . T a m m u r r i a t a accompanies this collective movement, reinforcing the sense of shared effort and purpose, in a setting where the music and the dancing act as a support to the devo- t i o n a l f r a m e w o r k , f o l l o w the rhythm of walking and, often, the emotional inten- sity of the pilgrimage. Another important cele- bration when tammurriata is performed is the feast of t h e M a d o n n a d e l l e Galline, held in the town of Pagani . Celebrated in spring, it is widely known f o r t h e c e n t r a l r o l e t h a t m u s i c a n d d a n c e p l a y throughout the festivities; here, tammurriata sessions can last for hours, some- times continuing overnight, i n v o l v i n g m u s i c i a n s , dancers, and spectators in a n o p e n a n d f l u i d s p a c e . Participation is informal, and people move in and out of the circle as the music continues. This feast is also n o t a b l e f o r t h e s o c i a l dynamics it makes visible because the femminielli – a recognized gender-non- c o n f o r m i n g f i g u r e i n Neapolitan culture – have long played a guiding role during the celebrations. A different but still relat- ed setting where tammuria- ta takes center stage is the pilgrimage to the sanctuary o f t h e M a d o n n a d e l - l'Avvocata, located in the m o u n t a i n s b e t w e e n t h e Amalfi Coast and the inland valleys. Reaching the shrine i s n o t f o r e v e r y o n e , a s i t requires a demanding walk, so the feast brings together physical effort, devotion, and collective celebration. Here, tammurriata accom- panies both the ascent and the gathering at the sanctu- a r y a n d o f f e r s a m u s i c a l and physical counterpoint to the prayers, while also reinforcing the power of the religious shared experience of participants. If it's true that we can find tammurriata in very similar contexts, it doesn't m e a n t h e r e i s o n e s i n g l e form of it; in fact, the term refers to a family of related practices that vary by area and occasion, often identi- f i e d b y p l a c e , l i k e t h e Giuglianese style, which is associated to the Vesuvian area. However, these dis- t i n c t i o n s a r e n o t f o r m a l c h o r e o g r a p h i e s , r a t h e r , they are sets of conventions recognized by participants and influenced by local his- tory and habit. However, the basic elements remain consistent: drum, singing, a n d a c o u p l e d a n c e p e r - formed within a circle, but gestures, pacing, and inter- action change from place to place. Perhaps, the long life of tammurriata lies exactly in t h i s f l e x i b i l i t y , w h i c h allowed it to adapt to time passing, people changing and different ways of wor- shipping and experiencing Faith. However, it still pro- vides a framework for devo- t i o n , a s p a c e f o r s o c i a l b o n d i n g , a n d a w a y t o express local identity with- out separating ritual from everyday life, and its partic- ipatory nature allows peo- ple to join without special- i z e d t r a i n i n g , w h i c h i s c e r t a i n l y a n o t h e r f a c t o r that contributed to its long- lasting appeal. Rather than belonging to the past, the tammurriata remains part of contempo- rary Campanian life, it con- tinues to evolve, to absorb n e w p a r t i c i p a n t s a n d t o adapt to changing contexts. At the same time, it is still m a r k i n g t i m e a n d p l a c e through rhythm. In doing so, it offers a clear example of how tradition survives n o t b y b e i n g p r e s e r v e d i n t a c t , b u t b y r e m a i n i n g meaningful to the commu- nities that practice it. T a m m u r r i a t a : m u s i c , d e v o t i o n , a n d community in Campania LUCA SIGNORINI Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors.

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