Gypsy groups such as Boban Marković Orkestar and Fanfare Ciocarlia managed to (literally) revive the interest in brass bands in the new millennium. But not only countries in the Balkans have this history. The south of Italy has a long tradition of wind orchestras that gathered in village squares to entertain those who had no money for the theater. Banda Ionica, from Sicily, has already made a number
… of wonderful albums. Girodibanda, led by the charismatic trumpet player Cesare Dell'Anna, is from Puglia (the heel of the Italian boot) and plays local melodies and songs from the Balkans. The group is and is assisted on this album by a variety of guest vocalists, of which Macedonian singer Esma Redzepova is the best known. The accompanying DVD shows images of the performance that the company gave during La Notte Della Taranta, which looks like a sultry summer evening full of theater, music and carnival. (PdK)more
