Archi/Med (Archivio Audiovisivo di Med Media), Ass. Cult. ” Agatini”, Cataforìo (RC),

Re Niliu, in collaborazione con: Ass. Cult. “Kum.el.ka”  Gallicianò (RC)

Megàlochòro

Cataforìo (RC)  21-27 August 2000 -VII edition

... for a different Aspromonte


Traditional
Dance
in Calabria
Two yearly International Stage

Next foreseen edition: August 2000
Place: Cataforìo (Reggio Calabria) - Italy

The Two Yearly International Stage Traditional Dance in Calabria took place from 19th to 25th August 1998. The next edition, the sixth, is foreseen in August 2000.
" Traditional Dance in Calabria " is an every two yearly stage organized by Archi/Med (Med Media Audio-visual Archives) from Reggio Calabria and by the Cultural Association "Agatini" from Catafor ì o.
About seventy competitors took part in the last edition and they were arranged in the classes of dance and instruments.

Information about the courses held in the last edition (1996):
Dance: Beginner and advanced level
Teachers: Giuseppe Crucitti (advanced), Diego Pizzimenti (beginner)
The work programme was based on the style of traditional dance from South Aspromonte and in particular Cardeto area. In this area, the traditional dance has got a very strong and rooted tradition. During the last courses, as well as during the previous editions, the teachers were able to make use of the presence of players and dancers from this area.

Lyre from Calabria - Teacher: Ettore Castagna
Ettore Castagna is known as the "lyre player" of Re Niliu's group. He has been active for many years as field researcher about traditional music from Calabria, Castagna has been looking after this instrument course for three stage editions. The lyre is a string chordophone probably medieval and it arrived in Calabria through age-old contacts with the near Greece. As for this instrument, please consult the research published on CD + booklet in 38 pp. by Archi/Med "The Lyre in Calabria" - RLS 002. The course programme is based on the traditional music for lyre from Locri area with a particular attention to the overall music as didactic instruments. Giuseppe Fragomeni's presence was important in the last part of the course. He is a teacher as regard the tradition and builder of lyre from Calabria.

Zampogna " a paru " and "a moderna" - Teacher: Sergio Di Giorgio
Sergio Di Giorgio is the Re Niliu's group wind player. He has been interesting in "zampogna" for twenty years about in Calabria both as researcher and under the organologic profile. He has been teaching for some editions in this course devoted to the two prince instruments of country music in Aspromonte: the "zampogne" "a paru" and "a moderna". The work programme touched the catalogues for "zampogna" both from Cardeto and Greek areas. The participants were given elements base relative to the instrument maintenance and, in particular, instructions about tuning, reeds and leather bag treatment. The direct contact with the traditional players was important, in particular during the nights "Ballu".

Course of diatonic organ - Teacher : Demetrio Bruno.
Demetrio Bruno is a traditional player from Cataforìo and his didactics consists in oral culture based on “listening and playing again”. This course, introduced experimentally three editions ago, by now represents an interesting experience about popular didactics. The work programme, particularly devoted to two basses organ from Cardeto style, aims to provide some basic elements about the dance catalogue of the area.

Course of percussion instruments manufacture
Teachers : Demetrio Vazzana and Claudio Messineo
Along with the dance course, this one represents the most experimented didactic time within the stage. The course is present since the first edition. Mimmo Vazzana and Claudio Messineo are the promoters of it with a programme which, for this edition, too, has involved the practice of the percussion instruments building from Calabria with a particular consideration of tambourine and “zuco” (rubbing drum).

Technical-logistic Information
Cataforìo is a little village 7 Km far away from Reggio Calabria reached by car both from the Thyrrhenian sea (via the motorway SA-RC) and the Ionian sea (main road 106 Ionian). From the Reggio East ring road, you can take the S.Sperato Mosorrofa way out and go on towards Cardeto. During the all previous stages, included this one, the organisation placed a car service at participants disposal coming by train or plane from other national or foreign places. The hospitality in situ is based on an arrangement in four/six beds rooms equipped by the organisation for this occasion. The catering service is guaranteed by Scuncia restaurant with subscription prices for the participants. Particularly special prices will be chosen by bars and confectioners of the village on the occasion.

The environment...
All the time the training organisation keeps a great attention to an approach with the environment. It must not only represent the box for the didactic activity. In particular, during all the editions the group organises excursions through very interesting naturalistic places. This year the tour consisted in the visiting of the canyon of “Alaverde” torrent.

The stage “history”
Traditional dance in Calabria” was born in 1989 as didactic route after the homonymous book (1988, by E.Castagna - Coop. “R.L.S.” edition). The underlying purpose is that of providing a direct approach with the ethnomusical and dancing cultures from Calabria mixing with a quality tourism and a sight of the alternative regional culture. It represents an alternative to the regretful but not exclusive stereotypes belonging to Calabria that is exclusively a territory of “mafia” and social-cultural depression. The cultural politics purpose of this stage is summed by the historical slogan “for a different Aspromonte”. This message was introduced by the organizing committee since the 1992 edition. The first two editions (1989 and 1990) were yearly at Tiriolo (CZ) organized by Archi/Med (Coop. “R.L.S.”) in collaboration with the Cultural Association " De Martino " . Since 1992 the staged changed both place and key. It happens every two years and beside the work group Archi/Med comes the new partnership of the Cultural Association “Agatini” from Cataforìo. The stage has reached its fifth edition in 1996 and it boasts by now a strong rooting on the territory. There is a great participation to the didactic activity both from players and from local dancers as well as a friendly welcome and hearty support by the local people.

 

Info:

Archi/Med (Archivio Audiovisivo di Med Media)
tel. 0965.591039
e-mail: archimed

 





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