Italian Traditional Music Puglia Pizzica de Focu

Pizzica is both a rhythm and a dance, it belongs to Salento which is the most southern east part of Italy, in County Puglia. The roots of Tarantella (Pizza is a style of it) are supposed to be in the greek-roman period in connection with pagan rituals. The time of Pizzica is 6/8, it is played with quick triplets with one strong accent on the first beat of the first triplet. The basic "ensemble" to play pizzica was Tamburello (Tambourine) Organetto (Diatonic Accordion) and Violino (Violin), but also guitar, mandolin and flute are played. One of the porpoises of this kind of composition was and still is (like other forms of tarantella) healing somebody "from the bite of the Tarantola" which is a spider, or from a general "sickness of the soul", the sick person dance hours till he fall down exhausted, the drum player often bleeding from the hand cause the beating on the drum. There are several interesting studies both in medicine and anthropology about that (the picture of this video comes from a documentary directed by Ernesto De Martino). In the old time in Salento this kind of music was also played during a duel where the two gentleman tried to kill each other with a knife in a sort of dance of death, it was known as "Danza delle spade" "Dance of the Swords". It was forbidden by law and after that it was (and it is) practiced just for fun using the fingers instead of knifes. Soon I ll post the lyrics with translation. Enjoy

The tune is played by Zimbaria, I don't owe the rights of this song

• Category

  Music

[Valentina Locchi]

Hello, the documentary, called "La taranta" is directed by Gian Franco Mingozzi, not by Ernesto de Martino, who developped a multidisciplinar study about tarantismo.

This song is traditional.

[girellando]

Hi there. I think (but not sure) the picture comes from "La terra del rimorso" and not from la "Taranta". About the tune yes it is definitely traditional, as I written in the title, but the performer is Zimbaria. Anyway I ll check better when I ll get the chance!