Cinzia Marzo - vocals, flutes and percussion
Lamberto Probo - percussion and vocals
Donatello Pisanello - diatonic accordeon, guitar and mandola
Giorgio Doveri - violin and mandola
Luigi Panico - guitar and harmonica
Silvia Gallone - percussion and vocals
Laura De Ronzo - dance
In the deepest Southern part of Italy, there is an area called Salento where tambourines play a very ancient rhythm named “Pizzica”. This is the music that, until the 1960s, was used to heal Taranta’s (a venomous spider) bite. Still today, the population plays and dances Pizzica during the village festivals. This music has charmed everyone who, passing through this region, has heard it – renowned musicians like Joe Zawinul and Stewart Copeland (The Police’s legendary drummer) have also arrived in Salento to attend “La Notte della Taranta” Festival. In fact, the encounter with Pizzica can’t leave anyone underwhelmed, because the persistent crescendo of tambourines’ beats goes straight to your heart. By listening and dancing to Pizzica, one could disclose unknown aspects of themselves and summon all sorts of extraordinary natural energy. A millenary deposited energy that is “reopened” during the performance.
Since the early ‘90s, Officina Zoè is one of the most well-known Italian musical group for “pizzica tarantata”, an ancient rhythm from the Salento Area, exciting and touching, therapeutic and hilarious with a compelling hypnotic expression. Frenzy that induces dance and obsessive movement, “pizzica” was used in the past as a trance vehicle or even as a therapeutic source, one of the strongest elements in the musical rebirth of the whole of Southern Italy.
Officina Zoè today pride themselves in taking part in the most important national and international music events. Thanks to Officina Zoè, the Pizzica dance has become popular in all the European capitals even before the “taranta-mania” boom.
PROGRAMME
Santu Paulu
Venti e burrasche
La Grazia – Pizzica taranta
Mare d’Otranto mia
Don pizzica
Aremu Rindineddha
Mamma sirena
Kaly nifta
Sale
Lu rusciu de lu mare
A nuvaije
Cu li suspiri