Folk songs and dances were an integral part of everyday life, with each region having its own unique styles and repertoire. These folk traditions often incorporated traditional instruments such as the tambourine, bagpipes, zampogna (Italian bagpipe), and various percussion instruments.
Zampogna – The Soul of Southern Italy
| During Christmas time, the sound of bagpipes filled the streets of little villages in Southern Italy. This is a feature-length documentary film about Southern Italian culture told through its indigenous folk music. The film focuses on how these traditions are dealing with the rapid changes in the local economy and the homogenizing effect globalization has on local culture. Filmed by an Italian-American rediscovering his family’s roots. |
Sounds of Naples
| You may not understand the words but you might appreciate these ancient sounds and rhythms. For some, they might call to mind sounds heard during their childhood. They belong to a millenarian culture also brought to the American shores by the Southern Italian immigrants. | |
| Little butterfly moving through the notes of this old Neapolitan song. | |
| The soul of Southern Italy. Close your eyes and listen. Imagine being on the Amalfi coast, | |
| The Soul of Southern Italy. Close your eyes and listen. Imagine being on the Amalfi coast, |
Tarantella from Puglie
| Southern music from ancient civilizations. | |
| The sound of our roots. |
Sounds from Sardinia
| No potho reposare | |
| Cori Sardi: Coro Femminile di Gavoi |
Sounds from the South recorded by Alan Lomax
The Association for Cultural Equity (ACE) was founded by Alan Lomax to explore and sustain the world’s expressive traditions with humanistic commitment and scientific engagement.
Alan Lomax (January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. After 1942, when Congress cut off the Library of Congress’s funding for folk song collecting, Lomax continued to collect independently in Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain, as well as the United States, using the latest recording technology, assembling an enormous collection of American and international culture. See The Association for Cultural Equity.
| Southern Italy folk songs by Alan Lomax. You can see the entire playlist here. | |
| From Lomax to Today: Southern Italian Peasant Music in a Post-Modern World |
