“An underground river, slow but powerful … that flows quietly, accompanying and pushing inexorably towards the sea the hardships and hopes, the sorrows of love and pains as well as the joys and childish games of human communities. It sometimes happens that it reappears on the surface reflecting the colours of the sky and the surrounding vegetation, and then back underground to continue its fascinating cycle“. Is there a better definition of folk music? These are the words of one who grew up with bread and music: Master Damiano D’Ambrosio, a professor at the Conservatory of Florence. The notes have accompanied all his life since childhood, when his father, musician in the band of Montescaglioso (a little town in the province of Matera) had taught him to play the clarinet.
But folk music can evoke even less romantic atmosphere and darker. Yet exciting. The scary black spider, the tarantola. With that bite that according to the belief, unleash the wild dancing of the ancient tradition of our land. Handed down unchanged over the centuries and came to the present day. Because it talks about us, tells our story, flows through our veins. That’s why folk music is the perfect soundtrack to visit Matera and all Lucania, it makes everybody sing and dance, children, young and old. It was easy then to bring together old and new generation of musicians from Matera in the name of Ragnatela. In fact this association are merged so the experience of the “old” Eustachio Di Cecca “u Fattòr”, Francesco Duni and Vincenzo Mola and the enthusiasm of the young Claudio Mola (son of Vincenzo), Vittorio Coretti, Gianfranco Del Vecchio, Alberico Larato, Antonio Vitale, Bruna Barbaro, Adele Catalano, Anna Maria Lo signore, Massimo Abbatino, Rino Locantore, Graziano Capolupo, Tommaso Di Marzio and the brothers Antonello and Pasquale Giravela (in the picture).
The Gruppo Folk Matera
That all together, inspired by the great passion for our beloved Lucania, for two years have been filling with music, energy and joy, clubs and squares of the city. And every time, the first beat of tamburello takes the irresistible desire to dance and sing. How did our grandparents on festive occasions. And as you can now do every time you wish, even at home. Yes, because the emotions of the concerts were concentrated in a disc that the band released in the last Christmas time: Traditional songs and folklore of Lucania, a work aimed at the “preservation and dissemination of the songs, the sounds and traditional costumes – they say – ensuring the new generations the opportunity to keep in touch with the past and ensuring the historical continuity of a peasant culture increasingly at risk of forgetting“.
Yeah, old but always new. No, not always the same old music …
