The pizzica’s liberating force visits Adelaide
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino again bring their passion, energy and tradition to WOMADelaide 2019 at Botanic Park on March 8-11.
Since its previous visit in 2015 the “pizzica” band from Puglia has won the award for Best Group at the 2018 Songlines Music Awards, the most prestigious awards in world music, at London’s Electric Brixton concert hall.
It is the first time an Italian band received the award in the 16-year history of the event, organised by the Songlines world music magazine.
At the event Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino’s 2017 album, whose cover featured the iconic coke bottle being reused to hold traditional home made tomato sauce, was nominated for Best European Album.
Formed by writer Rina Durante in 1975, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (CGS) is regarded as Italy’s leading and longest-standing traditional music ensemble.
The ancient ritual of the pizzica or taranta dance of the city of Taranto and Salerno region, is said to cure the taranta spider’s bite with its trance like dances but this is part of the real intent behind the story which is about women inventing the dance to express their desire to be free from the oppression of patriarchal culture.
In their performances the Pizzica is dragged into modernity in frenzied but fresh interpretation that has created CGS a strong following in the Puglia Region, in Italy and internationally.
This new generation of performers have reinvented Southern Italy’s Pizzica musical and dance tradition which has attracted audiences eager to recoup the creative liberation from music and movement.
Critically acclaimed with 18 albums and countless live performances throughout USA, Canada, Europe and the Middle East, in 2010 CGS was also awarded Best Italian World Music Group.
Bandleader, fiddler, and drummer Mauro Durante’s musical prowess and reputation have led to collaborations with global artists (Ballake Sissoko, Ibrahim Maalouf, Piers Faccini), contemporary classical composers (Ludovico Einaudi), and pop mavericks (Stewart Copeland of The Police).
Listen to Nu te fermare – Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Official video)