One evening earlier this month, during our Stunning Sicily tour, I was fortunate to be accompanied by Giovanni, Vincenzo, and Pepe as I (impromptu) sang “Cu ti lu dissi” (Who Told You) for our group. “Cu ti lu dissi” is a love lament that was made popular by Sicilian singer Rosa Balistreri. It is one…
Tag: music
Ancient And Modern Music-Making In Sicily
Female figure on a stool playing the lyre (4th – 5th century BCE), from the ancient city of Lilibeo (modern Marsala), seen in the Museo Whitacker archeological museum on Mozia Island. Speaking of music-making, join Villa Palagonia duo on Sunday at 3PM (Eastern)/21:00 in Italia for an online concert of Sicilian folk music (and a…
Magic In The Alley Of Sutera, Sicily
When I see this image from September 2014, I remember the tears I shed as I listened to Fratelli Mancuso performing “Bella Maria” in the alleyway of Sutera, Sicily for our small-group. I am a huge fan of Lorenzo and Enzo’s music–I feel their harmonies in every cell of my body. The fact that I…
A Day In The Mountains | Stirring Sicily, Day 6
Live from Sicily! Stirring Sicily, Day 6: A Day in the Mountains..Breathtaking views over Caccamo and Termini Imerese, a farm visit (tasting fresh ricotta out of the cauldron and tomatoes off the vine!), grilling up the freshest sausage you’ll ever taste (we watched (and helped!) the butcher make it, we bought it, we grilled it!),…
Hypnotized In Siracusa’s Piazza del Duomo
Ortigia’s Piazza del Duomo seduces me with her beauty, but then, when she adds in the harmonies and melodies of an accordion player, I’m hypnotized.
Southern Secrets, Final Day: A Melodious Goodbye
Live from Sicily! Southern Secrets, Final Day: Thank you from Experience Sicily and Feast on History to our guests for a wonderful 10 days! Farewell dinner… An evening of music and a little tarantella at our inn with my friend Giuseppe.
Serenade in Sicily
Last night our musician friends Ettore and Alfredo invited us to witness a pre-wedding serenade they were asked to perform. 100 friends and family came to listen and surprise the bride-to-be. Not the traditional intimate moment that has existed for centuries, but still, a wonderful night to be part of! Of course, the ballad “Nicuzza”…
Myths & Mysteries of Sicily: Day 5
Live from Sicily! Myths & Mysteries of Sicily: As Above/So Below | Day 5. Moving across the island, we enjoyed lunch in a family-run tratorria, were amazed by the mosaics in the Villa Romana del Casale, and ended the day with music and dancing with the waves of the Mediterranean roaring in the distance.
Bring Your Dancing Shoes
Being a musician myself, I am always seeking out other musicians while in Sicily, especially those versed in local folk music, like Ettore, Alfredo, and Totò, pictured here. I heard them first as part of a larger community ensemble in Porticello, my grandfather’s birthplace, in 2011. A couple of years later, I sought them out,…
Palermo Rising
This article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/12/world/europe/palermo-opera-teatro-massimo.html published in yesterday’s New York Times, brought tears to my eyes. It really demonstrates what is going on in Palermo, Italy’s Capital of Culture for 2018. I can’t express enough the wonder and excitement taking place in this vibrant city that has been rising from dark times for the past two and…