The story of the Night of the Taranta
Think of a popular festival, the first that comes to mind. Multiply it by ten, percent, by a thousand. Here you are The Night of the Tarantawhich for twenty -eight years ignites every summer the square of the former Augustinian convent in Melpignano, a municipality of about two thousand souls in the province of Lecce.
This is where the event was held on Saturday 23 August that some – perhaps exaggerating – define “the Woodstock of Salento”, to emphasize the sense of belonging and sharing that characterizes this collective celebration of the Pizzica and popular culture in the Salento in a contemporary key, in dialogue with the cultures and musical traditions of the world, transmitted live on Rai3, Rai Italia, Radi2 and Raiplay.
The pre-countercest
There “Balkan Adriatic Feast” has opened the pre-account of The Night of the Tarantabringing to the stage, for the first time in a single show, songs, music and dances of Italy, Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, under the direction of Enza Pagliarathe “Voice of Salento”. For the third consecutive year, the event confirmed the Foundation’s commitment to safeguard the minority languages, from Griko to Francoprovenzale, enhanced through the performances of students and professional musicians.
A balance between great event and popular festival
Over 100 thousand people – many of whom are in line already from night, even in the rain, to conquer the first places, the hands that beat in time, the tambourines that move at the rhythm, locals and tourists who arrived from Italy and abroad – Puglia records a constant increase in foreign tourists – for a concert which, to say with the words of Mauro during of Salento Grecanic Canzoniere Which this year celebrates 50 years of activity, “belongs to everyone. To the territory, to those who love this music. A night in which the public feels the protagonist as much as those who are on stage, with its drums and unbridled dances. The wealth of this event lies right here: in its being perceived as a great popular festival, inclusive and human dimension”.
“Under the same sky”
“Festa” and “Peace” the keywords of the 2025 edition entitled “Under the same sky”which opened with a tribute to Pippo Baudo. A title that without too many turns of words represents a reference to universal values and the mixing of cultures that is celebrated every year as a great opportunity to grow and feel part of something bigger. “Culture unites, creates bridges. He never divides, he does not know enemies, lays the foundations for civil coexistence,” explained the president of the Foundation The night of Taranta, Massimo Brayduring the press conference to present the event. “Ours is a territory that has always welcomed and contaminated and continues to do so,” added the mayor of Melpignano Valentina Avantaggiato.
A concept also visually emerged in the scenography created by Leftloft starting from original designs of Pietro Ruffo of a procession of young people who manifests dance for peace and choreography of Fredy Franzuttiwho together with the body of the Night of the Taranta was placed a precise challenge: “Bringing the pinch from the streets to the stage without distorting it”. Successful experiment, despite the stylistically impeccable bodybuilding, it has proved to be less true for some than the previous editions.
From Giuliano Sangiorgi to Ermal Meta: the guests of this year
Long applause for the concert master David Krakauerwho rearranged all the songs of the evening. “These weeks have been a great opportunity to speak and really get to know each other, going beyond the conventional ‘good morning’ and ‘how it goes’,” he said, also agreeing Ema stokholmaagain to run the event. “Salento is a land that never makes you feel out of place – commented the presenter of French origins – like the embrace of a mother”.
Behind each song, every interpretation, a careful study by thePopular orchestra on the night of the Tarantatrue soul of the event, which starting from the sources – voices and rhythmic trend – has built a live music show, understood as alive. A choral work to which guests also made their personal contribution. Starting from Giuliano Sangiorgi, Arrived from Japan where he is on tour with the Negramarowho interpreted accompanied by the orchestra “Lu Rusciu de Lu Mare” And “Quannu you are the faces” and who previewed the video clip of “LULAGALURU”song written for the first time in a Salento Kainè to tell the dramatic disappearance of the local olive trees due to the Xylella.
Ermal Metafor the first time at the event, he performed with “Mediterranean”from his latest album “Good luck”And “Lule Lulle “ In Arbëreshe language. “The night of the Taranta is a very important ritual,” he said at a press conference. “I think that traditions, when they are repeated, work like cultural maintenance. Let’s not forget that we are under the same sky, but above all above the same sea”.
Among the protagonists of the evening too Serena Brancale with his “Anema and core” and with “At acque, at the Acque”a pizzica of the Bari tradition, e Anna Castiglia who interpreted “Ghali” and reinterpreted the popular Salento song “Beddha sleeps us”explaining that “it was at the same time easy and difficult to approach the Salento tradition as the dialect is very similar to the Sicilian one, which I tried to leave out of this experience”.
Appreciated the choice to give voice and space to the young man of Palestinian origin TAREwhich merges R&B sounds with melodies of its origin of origin. “Resistance is first of all cultural,” explained the artist who sang ‘Araba Fenice’. “We are all peoples of the Mediterranean and we have many things in common, which on this occasion we express through music”.
An evening of confirmation and great returns. Like that of Antonio Castrignanòwho resumed its audience after seven years of absence due to internal differences, making old and small trigger with “Aria Caddhipulina” And “Funtana Gitana”.
On stage too Septemberwhich last Sanremo won the category new proposals, and the historical collaborators of Maestro Krakauer Kathleen Tagg, Sarahmk – which brought rap to the Salento tradition, an innovative choice that did not convince everyone – and Yoshie fruchter.
Although some gaps still remains to be filled – a coveted return to authenticity, more involved guests and some more study on the history of Salento and its traditions. The Night of the Taranta An important identity and universal moment that reminds us, as underlined by Stokholma in closing, before the traditional “Kalinifta” of the goodnight, that “a land without music is a land without history”.
Scaletta:
Pizzica di Aradeo
Mujerima for the music is crazy
When you are faced you
Lu rusciu de lu mare
‘This road
Nun wins vistu never sun de night
Anema and core
At the ACQUE to ACQUE
None none bed
Aria Gaddhipullina
The water of La Funtana
Nunna nunna
Mediterranean
Lulle lulle
Furuna
The cup
Ghali
Beddha sleeps us
Vertebrae
Der Heyser Bulgar Aremu
Pincrella
Pizzica di San Vito
Nazzu nazzu
Pizzica criminalized
Lu justacofane
Zumpa Ninnella
Teresin
I will greet the sun again
Araba Fenice
Rerolla it
Kalinifta
