Napulitanata is a concert hall, born in 2017 from the ashes of an abandoned garage, dedicated to classic Neapolitan song. Given its vocation, clearly expressed by its tagline “Traditional Music Concerts,” Napulitanata is focused on traditional Neapolitan music. This has led the venue to take an interest in all forms of traditional music; hence the birth of Sea and You, a European traditional music festival that concluded a few months ago. Sea and You was created to protect the popular and traditional musical heritage, bringing together the main styles of traditional European music on a common stage, promoting values such as equality, cooperation, and sharing.
La notte della Taranta: Its Origins
There are numerous Italian festivals dedicated to traditional music, and among them, undoubtedly the most famous is the Taranta festival, which has been held annually in Puglia since 1998 and attracts around two hundred and fifty thousand people each year with the aim of spreading the pizzica, the musical genre linked to tarantism.
The history of the taranta has popular origins, although it seems that even Ferdinand IV of Bourbon danced it during a visit to the city of Taranto. The dance was born as a cure for the bite of a spider; in fact, it often happened that during the harvest, peasants would feel unwell, complaining of abdominal pain, delirium, depression, and catatonia caused – according to popular belief – by the bite of a spider: the tarantula. For those bitten by the tarantula, traditional medicine was ineffective, and the only remedy was the obsessive rhythmic dance of the tambourine that accompanied the sick for weeks, who, through the convulsive movements triggered by the sound of the drums, would rid themselves of the spider’s venom and thus return to normal conditions. In this regard, it has indeed been spoken of as a musical exorcism.
Numerous anthropological studies have been conducted on the phenomenon of tarantism, among which the contribution of Ernesto De Martino stands out. According to De Martino, the hysteria of the tarantati has a symbolic meaning, indicating the psychological distress that over the years has matured in those whom he himself defined as the inhabitants of the land of remorse.
There is also a link with Greek mythology, in particular with the myth of Arachne, the maiden who challenged Athena in the art of weaving and who, for her ῞Υβρις (Hybris, hubris), was punished and transformed into a spider, thus condemned forever to weave her webs.
2024 Edition
La notte della Taranta is one of the most significant manifestations of popular culture in Europe. The festival takes place in Salento. Each edition includes a touring part (in various municipalities of the province of Lecce) and a final concert, which this year will be held on August 24th in Melpignano; here a Maestro Concertatore (who for this edition will be Shablo) reinterprets the classics of local musical tradition with the help of a group of Salento musicians called the Orchestra Popolare della Notte della Taranta. Shablo will have the arduous task of combining tradition and new musical influences. For Shablo, it is fundamental that music once again takes on its role as a unifying force, creating a deep connection with culture and providing a refuge and a means of expression for many young people in difficult circumstances.
For this edition, Shablo will focus on the tribal and visionary world of contemporary times. The maestro intends to fuse the roots of popular and ethnic music with modern sounds to forge a path towards the future with a keen eye on tradition and the new musical demands. In this regard, the collaboration with the young conductor Riccardo Zangirolami, known for his collaboration with the great maestro Ennio Morricone, is fundamental.
Official Program
The municipalities involved in the 2024 edition are: Corigliano d’Otranto, Calimera, Torre Guaceto, Sogliano Cavour, Nociglia, Racale, Cursi, Alessano, Ugento, S. Andrea, Carpignano Salentino, Nardò, Galatone, Molo di Adriano, Zollino, Galatina, Castrignano de’ Greci, Cutrofiano, Aradeo, Martignano, Soleto, Sternatia, Martano, Melpignano, and Galatina. The touring festival will begin on August 3rd and end on the 22nd of the same month.
On August 8th, 2024, a special Notte della Taranta concert will be held in Rome at La Sapienza University, during the World Congress of Philosophy.
On August 9th, 2024, at 8:30 PM, the festival will be in Ugento, in Piazza San Vincenzo.
On August 10th, 2024, the festival will stop in the municipality of Nardò.
On August 12th, 2024, the concert will be held in Avetrana, in the province of Taranto.
On August 13th, 2024, in Piazza San Sebastiano in Galatone. The date commemorates August 13th, 1954, when Alan Lomax and Diego Carpitella first recorded the traditional song “Pizzica di Galatone” here, which has since become famous worldwide.
On August 17th, 2024, in Piazza Alighieri, La Notte della Taranta Foundation will perform in Galatina.
On August 24th, 2024, at 10:30 PM, at Piazzale Ex Convento degli Agostiniani in Melpignano, La notte della Taranta Concert will be held, directed by Maestro Concertatore Shablo.
By Antonio di Criscito