Experience Sicily

Category: Music

  • Monreale’s Bagpipe

    In Sicilian mountain towns, playing and crafting zampogna, or bagpipes, was a part of life. There aren’t too many zampogna players left–just like there aren’t too many shepherds (the livelihood most closely tied to the mountains and zampogna) either. David Marker, an american of Italian heritage, has made it his mission to keep zampogna alive.…

  • Bella Tarantella

    Today, the tarantella (shown in this painting) is still alive and danced and played socially in many parts of southern Italy. In modern-day Sicily, however, it’s danced most often by organized folk music and dance ensembles at feasts and festivals. There remains a very strong folk music culture throughout the island, where you’ll find musicians…

  • Coral Salt Earrings

    Jewelry-designer Daniela Neri created these unique earrings that recall Sicilian ceramics with tarantella dancers. Daniela is a native of Trapani, and she takes the salt from the local salt flats and makes “coral” out of it–in other words, the beads that you see are not made of semi-precious stones, shells, coral, or glass, but of…

  • Sicily Beats to Its Own Drum

    Bass drummer, during the Festa del Santissimo Crocifisso in Calatafimi-Segesta, Sicily. The “Feast of the Holy Cross” takes place every 5 or 7 years, depending on the devotees’ resources. Processions featuring creative floats and music take place the first 3 days of May. The last Feast was held in 2012. Community-based wind and drum ensembles…

  • Bloom and Song

    From February 12-22, 2015 the city of Agrigento celebrates the 70th Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore (The Festival of the Blooming Almond Trees) and the 60th International Festival of Folklore. The “in Fiore” festival marks that spring is arriving and the almond trees are in bloom, while the folklore festival features performances of not only…

  • C’è la Luna Mezz’o Mare

    C’è la Luna Mezz’o Mare… “There is the moon in the middle of the sea.” (Song by Louis Prima) Sant’Elia (Fraction of Santa Flavia) at night. (Photo Credit: Experience Sicily’s Filippo Buttitta)

  • It’s All About that Bass Viol

    Statue of bass viola da gamba player, Villa Palagonia, Bagheria.   Listen live to my music duo Villa Palagonia on Chicago’s WFMT.com at 8PM CST tonight, 7 February 2015. It’s a one-hour concert of our brand of Sicilian inspired acoustic world folk music.

  • She’s Finally Home

    At Aidone, finally, is one of the most magnificent statues of a goddess from the ancient Greek era. Dated to be from 410 BC, the figure’s torso was carved using limestone from a quarry near Ragusa and her head and arms from imported Parian marbel. It was produced using a pseudo-acrolithic technique, giving her chiton…

  • Make Cous Cous Not…

    The annual Cous Cous Fest in San Vito Lo Capo not only exemplifies cultural integration by way of dozens of cous cous recipes for all to enjoy, but it also plays host to Italy’s top musical talent. Here is a photo of Irene Grandi during her set on the outdoor stage the night Experience Sicily…