L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE W i t h t h e c u p a - c u p a , t h e s o u n d c o m e s b e f o r e t h e o b j e c t itself: low, vibrating, slightly comic even, it cuts through voices and the footsteps of the dancers with a pulse that feels earthy, playful, and a t a d c o m e d i c . P o p u l a r i n many parts of our South, the c u p a - c u p a i s , v i s u a l l y , r a t h e r f o r g e t t a b l e , b u t i t remains immediately recog- nizable once heard; far from seeking a place in the Olym- p u s o f r e f i n e d o r c h e s t r a l instruments – but that was never its goal! – it occupies a space where rhythm, ges- ture, and collective partici- p a t i o n m a t t e r m o r e t h a n anything else. Indeed, what makes the cupa-cupa special has very little to do with elegance and everything to do with how it works: it belongs to the fam- i l y o f f r i c t i o n d r u m s , where sound is created not by striking a surface, but by rubbing it. Making and play- ing a cupa-cupa, believe us when we say it, it's easier than it seems: all you need is a container of some sort – traditionally a pot, a tin, or a small wooden vessel – cov- ered with a stretched mem- brane, usually animal skin. A thin rod, often a cane or bamboo, is fixed at the cen- ter. When the player damp- ens a hand or a cloth and rubs the rod up and down, the vibration travels straight to the membrane, producing that unmistakable buzzing, throaty sound. Good cupa- c u p a p l a y e r s k n o w t h a t pressure and speed matter a lot here, because they can c h a n g e t h e i n s t r u m e n t ' s tone and depth. This immediacy explains w h y t h e c u p a - c u p a h a s always been closely tied to informal music-making; it was never reserved for trained musicians or formal s e t t i n g s , a n d i n m u c h o f Southern Italy, especially in C a m p a n i a , B a s i l i c a t a , and Apulia, it was tradi- tionally assembled at home. Old cooking pots, metal tins, or wooden containers were r e u s e d , a n d s k i n s w e r e stretched and tied by hand; r e e d s c a m e f r o m n e a r b y fields. Everything revolved not around craftsmanship in t h e a r t i s a n a l s e n s e b u t a v a i l a b i l i t y : i n o t h e r words, the instrument came from the same places where people lived and gathered and was easily made by inex- perienced hands at home. Unsurprisingly for such a simple, grassroots instru- ment, the cupa-cupa is most o f t e n f o u n d i n c o n t e x t s where participating and hav- ing fun are more important than performing; you'll find it during winter festivities, street celebrations, and even events connected to Carni- val, when towns and villages spill into public space and the community comes alive w i t h o l d t r a d i t i o n s . O f course, it always has impor- t a n t c o m p a n i o n s : t a m - bourines and frame drums are commonly played along w i t h i t , a n d s i n g i n g a n d dancing are part of the per- formance, too. Thanks to its steady rhythmic base, the cupa-cupa keeps everyone playing, singing and moving in unison. Players often embrace the h a n d s - o n n a t u r e o f t h e c u p a - c u p a , e x a g g e r a t i n g their arm movements with a b i t o f s h o w m a n s h i p , b u t t h e y d o n ' t d o i t j u s t f o r e n t e r t a i n m e n t , b e c a u s e movement actually affects the sound, characterizing e a c h n o t e w h i l e a d d i n g a lively visual to the perfor- mance. Some people say the cupa-cupa sounds "funny" o r e v e n a l i t t l e s i l l y , b u t that's exactly the point: the laughter it inspires is part of its charm. This close, almost visceral c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n t h e instrument and the playing/ listening experience is also mirrored in the way its name d e v e l o p e d a n d c h a n g e d across Southern Italy, where it is referred to in a variety of ways. Putipù imitates the pulsing noise produced by t h e v i b r a t i n g m e m b r a n e ; caccavella refers directly to the pot or container that forms its body; cupa-cupa is rooted in the idea of repeti- tion and has even something onomatopoeical to it. Ethnomusicological research, particularly in B a s i l i c a t a , documented the cupa-cupa as a recurring p r e s e n c e i n l o c a l s o u n d - s c a p e s a n d h i g h l i g h t e d many variations of the same i n s t r u m e n t , n o t o n l y because of the variety of the m a t e r i a l s u s e d , b u t a l s o because of size and playing styles, which often change based on the occasion or the type of dancing and singing associated with the music. H o w e v e r , m e l o d y i s rarely the cupa-cupa's role; indeed, it was never meant to be. Its job sits lower, both literally and functionally: working in the bass register, it provides pulse and conti- nuity, a rough but depend- able beat that provides a solid support to everything e l s e . V o i c e s a n d m e l o d i c instruments move above it, s o m e t i m e s f r e e l y , s o m e - times unevenly, while the c u p a - c u p a k e e p s t i m e underneath, somehow giv- ing unity to the whole per- f o r m a n c e . I n f a c t , m a n y agree that when it drops out, the shift is immediate, and even inattentive listeners instantly sense something essential disappeared. B u t w h e r e c o u l d a n instrument like this have originated from? Well, we don't really know. Friction drums appear in many parts of the world, usually emerg- ing independently wherever simple materials were avail- able and there was a need for a steady rhythmic base so, in that sense, the cupa- cupa is not unusual. What is distinctive is how it took root in Southern Italy and became a familiar presence i n s o m a n y t r a d i t i o n a l events. This everyday inte- gration into the very cultural a n d s o c i a l f a b r i c o f o u r South perhaps also helps explain why the cupa-cupa never really needed to be " r e v i v e d : " i t s u r v i v e s because it still fits the situa- tions it was made for. The cupa-cupa, Southern Italy's most unusual drum 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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