La Notte della Taranta is an annual music festival held in Salento, Apulia (or Puglia) and is the largest music festival in Italy. Established in 1998, it has grown and grown into the event it is today which has a fantastic international reputation and draws huge crowds each year.
Events take place in a variety of locations in the municipalities of the province of Lecce from the 5th of August culminating in a giant closing concert in Melpignano on August 22nd .
Events take place in a variety of locations in the municipalities of the province of Lecce from the 5th of August culminating in a giant closing concert in Melpignano on August 22nd .
During this event the occupation of the quaint town swells from a population of around 2,000 to an average of 120,000 attendees. The streets fill with groups of friends, families and street vendors selling food, drink, crafts and gifts. A main stage is set up with a huge lawn in front. This is the heart of the festival where there is the main focus of activities. Music begins at around 7 o'clock at night and continues late into the night. Find an Italian holiday villa nearby and experience the madness and fun for yourself!
The festival attempts to rediscover and promote Salento's folk music and see it evolve and fuse with other genres like world music, rock, jazz and classical music.
The festival attempts to rediscover and promote Salento's folk music and see it evolve and fuse with other genres like world music, rock, jazz and classical music.
Folk music brings to mind ideas of quiet, calm sounds but this folk music is anything but calm! The musicians playing do so passionately and energetically and the crowd on the lawn dances enthusiastically. The dance that is performed, called the pizzica, is traditional and an important part of the festival. Pizzica means 'bite' and its name and that of the entire festival - “Taranta” referring to a tarantula – come from an old folk tale passed down in the area.
Supposedly, in the past, when a person was bitten by the spider (thought to be a metaphor for the devil and possession), this dance was the remedy. The individual had to move with the venom in their body and dance frantically, like their life depended on it, to try and flush it out of their system or exorcise the evil. Traditionally, the music starts slowly to give the fevered patient a chance to begin dancing and then became faster and faster. The dancing would continue until the patient collapsed from exhaustion, hopefully cured. Whether or not the cure actually works probably shouldn't be tested but it sure is a fun way to dance!
The crowds, though large and diverse, at the festival tend to be very well integrated and behaved meaning that everyone can enjoy the event. It's family-friendly and people of all ages have a great time! If you're feeling energetic and want to get a taste of Apulia, this might be something to try out.
Supposedly, in the past, when a person was bitten by the spider (thought to be a metaphor for the devil and possession), this dance was the remedy. The individual had to move with the venom in their body and dance frantically, like their life depended on it, to try and flush it out of their system or exorcise the evil. Traditionally, the music starts slowly to give the fevered patient a chance to begin dancing and then became faster and faster. The dancing would continue until the patient collapsed from exhaustion, hopefully cured. Whether or not the cure actually works probably shouldn't be tested but it sure is a fun way to dance!
The crowds, though large and diverse, at the festival tend to be very well integrated and behaved meaning that everyone can enjoy the event. It's family-friendly and people of all ages have a great time! If you're feeling energetic and want to get a taste of Apulia, this might be something to try out.
Photo credits
picture 1: Paride81 / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Lupiae / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: Quatar / CC BY-SA 2.5;
picture 1: Paride81 / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Lupiae / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: Quatar / CC BY-SA 2.5;
