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Phil Passantino and Domenico Porco look on as Michela Musolino recalls the Myth of Persephone, Demeter and Hades
Photos by New York Scugnizzo |
By Giovanni di Napoli
Last Thursday (March 10th), the old gods were evoked at Father Demo Hall (25 Carmine Street, NYC) in celebration of the arrival of spring. Excited to shed their winter garb, revelers packed into the auditorium anticipating being whisked away to ancient Enna, the “navel” of Sicily, and site of Ceres’ Rock, the ruins of the old temple. Mother Nature did her part (perhaps a little too well), with temperatures soaring to an unseasonable 79 degrees.
Festivities kicked off with Rosa Tatuata, an ensemble of extremely talented and versatile musicians, featuring vocalist Michela Musolino. Audience members were shown a few basic pizzica steps and encouraged to let loose. Cursed with two left feet, I was content to just sit back and watch the graceful young ladies lose themselves in the music and throes of dance.
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| Revelers danced with wild abandon |
Naturally, with spring being the season of new beginnings, their set included many traditional songs from southern Italy about budding romances and courtship. The impressive setlist included many crowd favorites, such as Riturnella and Mamma vi l'haiu persu lu rispettu.
For their finale, Rosa Tatuata brought the house down with a fiery rendition of Renato Carosone’s ‘O Saraceno.
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| Charlie Rutan, Michael Delia and Michela Musolino |
The night being young and the party just getting started, our musical journey continued with LassatilAbballari, a spirited folk group visiting from Palermo, Sicily, as part of the North American leg of their 2016 Danzando l’Europa (Dancing Europe) Tour.
Entering the hall from behind the audience, their performance began with a couple of rousing songs from Galicia, Spain. Leading the troupe with his gaita gallega, the traditional pipes from Galicia, frontman Michele Piccione and the band took to the stage to thunderous applause.
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| Multi-instrumentalists Barbara Crescimanno with frame drum and Michele Piccione with his gaita gallega |
In addition to original tarantella compositions and songs from southern Italy, the band’s vast repertoire interestingly includes a wide range of traditional music and dance, spanning Europe from the Balkans to Ireland.
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| Charlie joins the ladies for a dance |
Treated to a few soulful tunes from Spain and Bulgaria, I was struck by a haunting number from the British Isles meant to coax the wind to fill the sails of the fishing boats. Percussionist Barbara Crescimanno led the audience in a traditional chain dance, winding across the dance floor beneath the atmospheric string lights.
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| Michele with lute, guitarist Ciccio Piras and accordionist Marco Macaluso |
True to their name, a composite of two Sicilian words that translates to “let them dance,” LassatilAbballari kept the music coming and the dance floor hopping. For nearly two hours the jovial quintet brought us back-and-forth from Sicily, Calabria and other far off lands.
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| The evening was a whirlwind of fun |
For the grand finale, Rosa Tatuata joined them onstage and the dance floor for an exuberant Tammurriata, a traditional dance from Campania.
After the show, my friends and I decided to have a late dinner. Craving pizza, we took a short stroll from the Hall to our pal Ciro's pizzeria, Song' e Napule at 146 West Houston Street. Catching up with the maestro (and relishing a few of his signature pies) we talked about food, politics, calcio and, of course, the phenomenal show.
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| Flautist Benedetto Basile and Barbara with sea shells |
Unfortunately, do to our community’s mad dash to assimilation and cultural homogenization, it’s not everyday we get to experience authentic, traditional southern Italian music and dance. We are eternally grateful to the musicians who keep our cherished folkways alive. Special thanks is in order to Michela Musolino for her hard work and dedication. Her passion and tireless efforts to promote southern Italian culture is an inspiration to us all.
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| The celebration continued at Song' e Napule with our buddies Ciro, Marcantonio Pezzano and Andrew "Ciacci" Giordano of the Black Cats NYC |
