L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 17 Notte della Taranta: Dancing the night away with the Pizzica salentina If a stunning coast line, crys- tal clear waters and amazing food aren't reason enough to v i s i t t h e b e a u t i f u l r e g i o n o f Apulia – the heel of the Boot – t h e m o n t h o f A u g u s t g i v e s vacation goers one extra incen- tive to visit this beautiful area: a truly unique musical festival that has roots in one of Puglia's oldest traditions. "La Notte della Taranta" is one of Italy's biggest music fes- tivals and it takes place every S u m m e r a r o u n d t h e S a l e n t o area to promote the re-discovery and valorization of Apulia's folk music and its fusion with other types of music – from rock to jazz to classical music. Participating to the festival is an unforgettable experience, as people of all ages dance around the squares in a frenzy, trying to keep up with the increasingly fast rhythm of the music. All are invited to join – no matter if experts or first time dancers – and the result is a joyous and slightly messy group dance that leaves everyone breathless, and n o t o n l y b e c a u s e o f u p b e a t tempo. The Festival took place for the first time in 1998 by initia- tive of the "Unione dei Comuni della Grecìa Salentina" and the "Diego Carpitella" Institute, and in the past sixteen years it has enjoyed tremendous growth in size, audience and international prestige. T h e F e s t i v a l ' s f o r m u l a , which culminates in the "Final C o n c e r t o n e d i M e l p i g n a n o " (province of Lecce), is made unique by inviting a "Maestro Concertatore" (a concert master) w h o a r r a n g e s a n d i n t e r p r e t s classics from the local musical tradition, and directs a group of nearly thirty musicians from Salento together with exception- al guests from Italy and abroad. The "Final Concertone" alone attracts around one-hundred and fifty thousand spectators, while tens of thousands follow the final rehearsals the day before: streets and piazzas are filled with concert goers, as street v e n d o r s s e l l p i t t a , a t y p e o f focaccia stuffed with potatoes, to be washed down with a good local wine such as Primitivo and Salice Salentino. The Pizzica, an ancient genre of folk music deeply rooted in the Salento region, is similar to a Tarantella, fast, joyous and upbeat. An entertaining mix of music and dance – it has always been an important part of the cultural life of the area. In the past, rumor had it that the dance could heal the symptoms caused by two local poisonous spiders, the tarantula and the malmignat- ta: the ritual dance was said to be the only way a tarantolato – one who had been bitten by the spider – could truly be cured. Today the dance has become a popular form of entertainment not only in Salento, but in the rest of Italy thanks to famous bands such as Officina Zoè and Sud Sound System that have performed the Pizzica all around the country, bringing the sound o f S a l e n t o a l l t h e w a y t o Northern Italy and beyond. T h i s y e a r t h e N o t t e d e l l a Taranta will take place in 17 t o w n s ( A l e s s a n o , C a l i m e r a , C a r o v i g n o , C a r p i g n a n o S a l e n t i n o , C a s t r i g n a n o d e i Greci, Corigliano d'Otranto, C u r s i , C u t r o f i a n o , G a l a t i n a , Lecce, Martano, Martignano, CHIARA ASSI Melpignano, Sogliano Cavour, Soleto, Sternatia and Zollino) from August 5th to the 22nd: the final Concertone will take place, as usual, on the last day of the festival in Melpignano. Although the official list of guest stars isn't available yet, f a m o u s I t a l i a n r o c k s t a r Luciano Ligabue is said to be among them. For more informa- tion visit: http://www.lanot- tedellataranta.it/index.php?lang =en To reach Malpignano for the Final Concertone on August 25th, a special bus service will c o n n e c t t h e t o w n t o b i g g e r towns such as Lecce, Otranto and Gallipoli, running all night u n t i l 8 a . m . n e x t m o r n i n g , which makes leaving your car b e h i n d a f a i r l y o b v i o u s a n d good choice. Melpignano, part of the Club Borghi Autentici d'Italia, is definitely worth visiting even after the hustle and bustle of the Notte della Taranta is over: well kept and rich of history, it fea- tures some of the most interest- ing archeological sites of the country. Other nearby towns such as Otranto and Gallipoli, t o o , a r e p e r f e c t b a s e s f o r a vacation during the festival. Otranto, a pearl on the Adriatic coast, is famous for its beautiful w h i t e s a n d b e a c h e s , f r o m C o n c a S p e c c h i u l l a t o P o r t o Badisco. Gallipoli, a picture perfect Baroque town, is perfect b o t h f o r t h o s e w h o w a n t t o enjoy a holiday by the beach and for those who prefer a more cultural experience. Salento can be reached by plane flying into Aereoporto I n t e r n a z i o n a l e d e l S a l e n t o Brindisi, Aeroporto Taranto - Grottaglie or Aeroporto Lecce - Galatina; by train from Bari, Naples, Rome and other main c i t i e s i n I t a l y ; b y c a r f r o m L e c c e b y t a k i n g t h e S t a t a l e Salentina or the Via Appia. "La Notte della Taranta" is one of Italy's biggest music festivals and it takes place every Summer around the Salento area to promote the re-discovery and valorization of Apulia' folk music and its fusion with other types of music The Festival took place for the firs time in 1998 The Pizzica, an ancient genre of folk music deeply rooted in the Salento region, is similar to a Tarantella, fast, joyous and upbeat

• Cover