auccalamma

About auccalamma (themouthofthesoul)

When Enzo, myself and another friend founded the quartet Musicàntica late in 1994 we were amused by the idea of performing traditional music from southern Italy in a strange and controversial place like Los Angeles. Besides the pure fun of making music, we wanted to present the songs of the oral tradition of our southern land as we concurred that no one really knew about them. No more songs like, “O Sole Mio” or “Funiculì Funiculà,” but just the power of the pizzica, the poetry and the love drama of the Neapolitan villanelle, the intriguing sound of the cane clarinets from Sardinia, the passion of Sicilian cart driver songs and a heavy dose of sound experimentation with the sounds of our native Mediterranean area. In short, we sought to promote the music of the unsung people of Italy to be played for the unsung people of every day America.

Musicàntica’s activity does not place itself that far off from the current ideas known as contaminazione and riproposta, that is, music which is created and proposed by incorporating cultural elements alien to the original tradition, so increasingly common all over Italy since the late 1980s. We strive, however, to maintain the musical idea learned from the tradition as much as possible intact while experimenting by combining sounds from the Mediterranean that the mood and the character of the piece itself may suggest to us. Often times the song remains as is, and rightfully so.

Almost eight years later from our beginnings, as we switched from a quartet down to a duo, we still find a remarkable freshness in traditional music and more than ever we believe in its contemporary continuation. In reality, our ensemble does not break a mold. For instance, other Italian bands during the 1970s did create great music based in the tradition and also by keeping an eye toward other music coming from the Mediterranean area, largely anticipating the World Music trend of the following decade. Musicàntica does not seek to represent the music of its own culture merely as a more or less faithful rendition of the past because such activity usually implies that the music is no-longer a living entity.

Rather, we believe that the music continues to live in the life experiences of the musicians who perform it with the due changes and circumstances given by the historical times in which they live. This is because each musical process in time is historical, part of a relentless process of development, productive confrontation with every day life and a continuous discourse between current innovation and past sedimentation. It is because of this discourse between the actual and the past that the repertoire in this CD has switched a bit from the strictly traditional of our beginnings to a more personal rendition of the traditional as well as original compositions.

By “more personal rendition of the traditional,” we mean that we have maintained our resources and we have not resorted to easy compromises in the choices we have made in the manipulation of the musical element. Rather, we have made a conscious effort to reject such compromises and the “effect hit” by refusing to engage in any cut-and-paste type of arrangement by attaching contemporary, popular styles such as rock and roll, rap, R&B, or even jazz to our songs.

Of course, this does not mean that we do not love or recognize the great power and magnificence of the above musical styles. In fact, as you can listen in this CD, when performing our original songs such as COZZE CUZZEDDHRE, we have employed the powerful socio-political means represented by hip-hop in order to create new meanings for our audiences. But you will find the music still belonging to our southern roots, the suggestion is made from the inside out rather than the outside in. Therefore, we do not fuse, attach, coat, or to use a term dear to post-modernists, we do no pastiche of any kind, just a conscious effort and commitment to continuous experimentation. Moreover, each one of us reminisces, mostly symbolically, the sounds experienced in a lifetime from each of our respective birthplaces: the Salento for Enzo and eastern Sicily for myself.

The connection between the southern Italian tradition and the individual experiences as immigrants in Los Angeles is evident in our improvisations and re-adaptations of older material. Even our respective dialects have been modified rather spontaneously at times during the process of music making. For me, it was not a difficult task to sing in Enzo’s Salentine dialect, but I inevitably ended up pronouncing or inflecting some of the words in my own Sicilian idiom. Enzo, on his part, begins the slow part of the song titled LU RUSCIU with a word that is not proper in his dialect while it is in mine. All this came naturally to both of us so we decided to keep these and other small “errors” as to underline our openness and stress the natural musical process that characterizes this recording.

AUCCALAMMA means ‘the mouth of the soul’ in my own dialect. We contracted the words into one for the purpose of the title and this is the way it is pronounced in current speech anyway. We also love its slightly Near Eastern sounds. Its meaning, however, is its most important aspect as far as we are concerned. In a broken society such as our Western one it is of utmost importance to underline and keep the basics aspects of human decency alive and well in sight through art despite all the downfalls around us. AUCCALAMMA literally refers to the upper entrance of the stomach. Sometimes we ‘feel’ with that part of our body, or as we say in English, we feel something in our guts, such as premonitions, longing, or anxieties. We can say that ‘feeling’ things in and with our stomach can be considered an aspect of communication perhaps less and less experienced at a natural level. This is true especially today as we let unnecessary technological devices or gutless men do the talking on our behalf often causing aches and pains. Through musical conversation and understanding, somehow we can reject these poisons of life, much like the tarantate would vomit the spider’s poison at the end of their dance ordeal. Well, the continuous development of sentiment and spirit lived viscerally between two friends is mostly what this recording is all about. We have chosen simply to let l’amma, our soul, do the talking.

— Roberto Catalano

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1. Cow Benas

Roberto Catalano, Enzo Fina

Roberto: bena cun corru (bena with horn), benas doppie (double benas), sonazzos, (Sardinian sheep bells).
Enzo: fina Saturno.

The island of Sardinia is, in our opinion, the last frontier in terms of Italian traditional music. It is also a magical and quite unique place inhabited by unique people. There are many things truly special about Sardinia, but if we had to single one out it ought to be the strong sense of belonging the people have for the land. It is to the land of Sardinia, and to our land in general, that this musical impression featuring the cane clarinets from Sardinia, is dedicated to.

2. Sugnu Vinutu

Traditional

Roberto: lead vocals, clippity clop (click), marranzanu basso (bass jaw’s harp).
Enzo: marranzani (jaw’s harps), tamburieddhru (frame drum), sonagliera di mulo (mule jingle collar), karkabas (Moroccan qraqeb).

Sicilian work song sung by Roberto in a style reminiscent of the cantu alla carrittera (cart driver song) and accompanied by Enzo on the marranzanu . In our version the texture progressively thickens as the song develops and, as always, we enjoy our little jaw’s harp improvisation towards the end.

Sicilian

English translation

Sugnu vinutu di luntana via, ca sugnu stancu di lu me caminu. Vinni a cantari ‘nta stu beddu chianu, ‘pp’affaciari a ttia curaddu finu. E non ti cririri ca sugnu quacchi stranu, sugnu chiddu di prima ca vinni a cantari ‘ppi ttia. Calami sti trizzi, calami sti trizzi e famm’acchianari ca sti labbruzza fini vogghiu vasari. E sta canzuna è lesta ‘ppi finiri, e iù ci a lassu tutta a me cumpari ‘Nzinu ca sa porta ‘a casa.

I have just come from a long trip, and I am tired of walking. I have come to sing in this place so that my loved one, fine coral, would open up her window. Do not dare to think that I am just a stranger, since I have already come here to love you. Lower your braids down and let me climb up to you, I want to kiss your lips. The song is about over and I am going to leave it to my buddy ‘Nzinu to take it home.

3. Pizzicarella

Traditional

Enzo: lead vocals, classical guitar, harmonica.
Roberto: chitarra battente, putipinu (small Spanish zambomba), vocals.

Musicàntica’s adapted this traditional pizzica tarantata featuring the chitarra battente, used here as a melodic unit. The slowed down rhythm may suggest the Cuban guajira or perhaps a Greek rembetika, but in the end it is still the original song.

Salentino dialect

English translation

Pizzicarella mia pizzicarella, lu caminatu toa na ni na na pare ca bballa. Amore amore cce m’ha fattu fare, te quinnici anni m’ha fattu ‘mpaccire. Te quinnici anni m’ha fattu ‘mpaccire, te mathre e pathre m’ha fattu scirrare. Te l’ura ca te vitti te smirai, nnu segnu fici a’ mmienzu ll’occhi toi. Pizzicarella mia pizzicarella, lu caminatu toa na ni na na pare ca bballa. Pizzicarella mia pizzicarella, lu caminatu toa na ni na na pare ca bballa.

Oh, my Pizzicarella, the way you walk, na nee na na, the way you walk looks like a dance. My love what did you have me do, at fifteen you made me crazy. At fifteen you made me crazy, you made me forget my own parents. I was struck from the first moment I saw you, I made a gesture so that you would notice me. Oh, my Pizzicarella, the way you walk, na nee na na, the way you walk looks like a dance.

4. Annia Annia

Traditional

Enzo: classical guitar, vocals.
Roberto: classical guitar, vocals.

Traditional Salentine lullaby arranged by Enzo.

Salentino dialect	English translation
Annia annia annia, la mamma fimmineddhra ulia e lu tata masculieddhru cu llu porta ‘lla fatia. E nnella nnella nnella, carciratu lu purginella e percè stae carciratu? Pe nnu fiuru ca è rrubbatu! E none none none nu mannare ca nu tte ole ca aggiu mannatu jou e aggiu persu le parole. Annia annia annia, la mamma fimmineddhra ulia e lu tata masculieddhru cu llu porta ‘lla fatia.	Annia annia annia, mother wanted to have a baby girl, father a baby boy to help him at work. Nella nella nella, jailed is Pulcinella. Why he is in jail? Only for a flower he has stolen! None none none, he does not want you. It is useless to look for. I already looked for him and I wasted my words. Annia annia annia, mother wanted to have a baby girl, father a baby boy to help him at work.

5. Pizzica del Deserto

Enzo Fina, Lorenzo Bühne, Roberto Catalano

Enzo: classical guitar, tamburieddhru, harmonica, putipù (friction drum), vocals.
Roberto: classical and acoustic guitars, T. Rex approaching digital drum, vocals.
Dwight Carroll: digital effect programmings.

The original idea for the music of this piece is by Enzo and our friend and former MUSICàNTICA member Lorenzo Bühne. This pizzica was created somewhere in the Mojave Desert of California. The text of Annia Annia, a traditional Salentine lullaby, has been included first as a lullaby proper, then re-proposed as something different. The rhythm is characterized by the superimposition of duple and triple meters.

Salentino dialect

English translation

Annia annia annia, la mamma fimmineddhra ulia e lu tata masculieddhru cu llu porta ‘lla fatia. E nnella nnella nnella, carciratu lu purginella e percè stae carciratu? Pe nnu fiuru ca è rrubbatu! E none none none nu mannare ca nu tte ole ca aggiu mannatu jou e aggiu persu le parole. E nnazzu nnazzu nnazzu, la paparena cu llu lapazzu e la mamma lu cucina lu lapazzu e la paparina. Annia annia annia, la mamma fimmineddhra ulia e lu tata masculieddhru cu llu porta ‘lla fatia.

Annia annia annia, mother wanted to have a baby girl, father a baby boy to help him at work. Nella nella nella, jailed is Pulcinella. Why he is in jail? Only for a flower he has stolen! None none none, he does not want you. It is useless to look for. I already looked for him and I wasted my words. Nazzu nazzu nazzu the paparina with the lapazzu. Mother will cook them, the lapazzu and the paparina (flower and corolla of the poppy). Annia annia annia, mother wanted to have a baby girl, father a baby boy to help him at work.

6. La Turtura

Traditional

Enzo: high tenor, ocean drum.
Roberto: tenor, baritone, bass.

This is a song with an unusual text to be found in a male dominated cultural tradition because it represents the theme of women liberation. In it, the man tells of the several symbolic ways in which he suffocates the woman he is in love with. The unusual happens at the very end when the turtle refuses for ever, with irony and authority, the suffocating love of the young man flying away beyond the sea.

Salentino dialect

English translation

La turtura ‘lla gabbia la crescei, meju la fici te le pari soi. Nnu ggiurnu ‘lla finestra me ‘nfacciai, la vitti ccumpagnata mmienzu a ddoi. Nnu parmu e mmienzu t’ali li tajiai cu lla critenza ca nu vola cchiui. Cu ll’orgiu e cu llu mijiu la criscia cu lla ‘ncarizzu cu nu sia me vola. Nnu ggiurnu ‘lla finestra me ‘nfacciai, la vitti ccumpagnata mmienzu a ddoi. Li tissi: “Turturella dove vai?” Quiddhra me tisse: “Secuta a mie ci bbene me voi!”. E jou lu poverinu la secutai, cu lla critenza ca la pijiu moi. Quannu lla riva te mare la rrivai, quiddhra me tisse: “Scatta e crepa, e ttie cce bboi?”.

I raised my turtle dove in the cage, I made her become more beautiful than her peers. One day, leaning out the window I saw her (flying) in company of two. I cut one third of her wings so that he could not fly again. I fed her barley and millet and I caressed her so that she would not leave me again. One day, leaning out the window I saw her (flying) in company of two. I asked her, “Little dove, where are you going?” She answered, “Follow me if you love me!”. And I, poor me, followed her believing that I would have quickly caught her again. When I reached her by the seashore she abandoned me saying, “Choke on it and die, what else would you want!!??”.

7. Lu Rusciu 1

Traditional

Enzo: lead vocals, classical guitar, ocean drum.
Roberto: bouzouki, mandolin, vocals.

Another Salentine lullaby adapted by MUSICàNTICA.

Salentino dialect	English translation
A sira me passai te le patule e ‘ntisi le ranocchiule cantare. Comu cantanu belle a una una, pariane lu rusciu te lu mare. Lu rusciu te lu mare è mutu forte, la fijia te lu rre se nn’ae ‘lla morte.	At dusk I walked by the pond and I heard the frogs sing. How lovely were they singing one by one, they sounded like the surf crushing on the shore. The surf crushing on the shore is so loud that the king’s daughter goes to die.

8. Lu Rusciu 2

Traditional

Enzo: lead vocals, classical guitar, tamburieddhu (frame drum), putipù (friction drum), double headed frame drum, hand-claps, castanets.
Roberto: bouzouki, mandolin, hand-claps, vocals.

Lu Rusciu te lu Mare (The Surf Crushing on the Shore), a Salentine lullaby adapted by MUSICàNTICA and featuring the Greek bouzouki, an instrument that blends well with the overall mood of the song.

Salentino dialect

English translation

A sira me passai te le patule e ‘ntisi le ranocchiule cantare. Comu cantanu belle a una una, pariane lu rusciu te lu mare. Lu rusciu te lu mare è mutu forte, la fijia te lu rre se nn’ae ‘lla morte. Iddhra se nn’ae ‘lla morte e jou ‘lla vita, la fijia te lu rre se sta ‘mmarita. Iddhra se sta ‘mmarita e jou me ‘nzuru la fijia te lu rre me tae nnu fiuru. Iddhra me tae nnu fiuru e jou nna parma, la fijia te lu rre se nn’ae ‘lla Spagna. Iddhra se nn’ae ‘lla Spagna e jou ‘n Turchia, la fijia te lu rre è lla zzita mia. E vola vola vola paloma vola ca jou lu core meu te l’aggiu ddare. E vola vola vola paloma vola ca jou lu core meu te l’aggiu tatu.

At dusk I walked by the pond and I heard the frogs sing. How lovely were they singing one by one, they sounded like the surf crushing on the shore. The surf crushing on the shore is so loud that the king’s daughter goes to die. She goes to die and I go to life, the king’s daughter is getting married. She is getting married and I am too, the king’s daughter gives me a flower. She gives me a flower and I give her a palm branch, the king’s daughter goes to Spain. She goes to Spain and I go to Turkey, the king’s daughter is my spouse. Fly, fly, fly, my dove fly, I have to give you my heart. Fly, fly, fly, my dove fly, my heart I have given to you.

9. Acqua e Sali

Giampiero Mazzone, Roberto Catalano

Roberto: vocals, mandolin.
Enzo: plastic ‘eggz’ shaker, campanello d’agnello a molla (small lamb bell mounted on a spring).

This is an anonymous text against the evil eye. Roberto does not sing the entire text because we wanted this to be just a particular moment in the CD, and therefore we kept it short. The lyrics are contained in a book written by Serafino Amabile-Guastella, a Sicilian scholar active during the late 1800s who reported the text as he remembered having heard it from some peasants in the ancient county of Modica in the south eastern Sicilian province of Ragusa. The main melody is by Giampiero Mazzone, a contemporary Sicilian song writer. The new arrangement is by Roberto.

Sicilian	English translation
O Signuri, ‘un cci accunzientu! Acqua e sali, senz’abbientu! Acqua e sali, o Gran Signura, ppi livari sta fattura. Acqua e sali, o San Ciuvanni, pi stutari stu focu ranni Acqua e sali, acqua e sali. E sali. Ppi li Majiari	Oh Lord, I do not consent, water and salt without end Water and salt, water and salt oh! Mighty Lady To take away, to take away this malediction Water and salt, water and salt oh! Saint John To take away, to take away this burning fire Water and salt, water and salt Water and salt, water and salt and salt. to the witches

10. Jou Passu

Traditional

Enzo: lead vocal, tamburieddhri, harmonica, plastic syringe whistle, harmony vocals.
Roberto: acoustic and classical guitars, vocals.
Dwight Carroll: digital bass programming.

The pizzica tarantata, also known as pizzica pizzica has been used for many centuries as healing music in the ritual against the alleged bite of the tarantula spider. Today it is performed as a convivial dance. Jou Passu is one of the many songs of this repertoire.

Salentino dialect

English translation

Jou passu te sta sthrata e restu tisu, lu core nu mme tira cchiui cu trasu. (ritornello) Na na na na na na na, beddhru l’amore e ci lu sape fa. M’aggiu ‘mparatu ca ‘nc’è nn’auru amicu ca te la casa è lu cchiù cunfitatu. (ritornello) Tene nna cantita te olivetu e nnu stuppieddhru te sciojiu simminatu. (ritornello) E l’usu te la casa nu tte lu ticu: nna seggia rutta cu llu palu stuccatu! (ritornello)

I walk by this street and I stiffen, my heart tells me not to go on, not to go on, not to go on, my heart tells me not to go on. (chorus) Na na na na na na na, beautiful is love and beautiful is who knows how to make love. I understand there is another friend who is more loved in your house, in your house, in your house, there is another friend who is more loved in your house. (chorus) He owns a bit of olive groves and sowed a lot more of parasite plants, parasite plants, parasite plants, a lot more of parasite plants. (chorus) And I won’t tell the use of his own house: a broken chair with a broken leg, a broken leg, a broken leg, a broken chair with a broken leg. (chorus)

11. Cozze Cuzzeddhre

Enzo Fina

Enzo: megaphone voice and background voices, street call, fina Saturno, fina zucchina, putipù, tamburieddhi, marranzanu, ocean drum.
Roberto: vocals and background voices, bena cun corru solo (bena with horn solo).
Dwight Carroll: diving sound effect programming.

Cozze cuzzeddhre (Snails, Little Snails,) written by Enzo Fina, is an historical metaphor about the several invasions and dominations that occurred in the Italian South along the centuries. The ‘cozze,’ or snails, symbolize the poor people of the south. The eating away of the cozze until the belly is full refers to the historical exploitation of poor people by the rich and powerful. But when the powerful lays down with the belly stuffed to the bursting point, then it is the time for the underdog to “sing the last rhyme.”

Salentino dialect

English translation

Cozze, cuzzeddhre – Cozze, cuzzeddhre – Cozze, cuzzeddhre nnu ecchiarieddhru innia a mmienzu ‘lle sthrate ‘mmer’a ccasa mia. Cozze, cuzzeddhre si: lumache, lumachine innia ddhru ecchiarieddru quannu jou era nnu piccicchieddhru. Quannu jou era piccicchieddhru tante cose nu’ lle sapia ne dde storia ne ggiografia, ce te tuccatu Salentu mia. Cozze, cuzzeddhre – Cozze, cuzzeddhre – Te ddhri messapi e salentini, te ddhr’antichi contatini conquistati e ddominati, te la storia rruinati. E cci li cunta quanti su stati tutti li cuvernanti ca scrafazzannu tuttu lu Suddu cozze e cuzzeddhre s’anne mangiate. (coro) Na na na, comu lu piji lu munnu va, e lu piji a ddhra rretu, sempre arretu se ne va. Quannu jou era piccicchieddhru tante cose nu’ lle sapia ne dde storia ne ggiografia, ce te tuccatu Salentu mia. Te ddhri messapi e salentini, te ddhr’antichi contatini conquistati e ddominati, te la storia rruinati. E cci li cunta quanti su stati tutti li cuvernanti ca scrafazzannu tuttu lu Suddu cozze e cuzzeddhre s’anne mangiate. E mo’ li creci, poi li romani, mo’ li patriarchi e li papi cristiani, svevi, normanni e araconesi e poi li turchi: “Mamma li turchi!”. E cu lli turchi li mussulmani, piemontesi e cuverni italiani, Napoleone, l’inglesi-russi, nazisti, fascisti e l’americani! Mo te la Grecia llucisce ‘mmatina e murennu, lu sule, ‘ll’Americhe se mina; nui comu cuzzeddhre tiramu ‘ccampare: lente, caleddhre e sapurite. Ueh! Ddiscitamunne meridionali ca li uai su ‘ncapuniti ae mutu ca è rriata l’ura c’cangiamu e cu cantamu tutti uniti: Sucatinne beddhri tutti te paru, sucatibbe tuttu stu panaru e quannu tiniti la ucca china, sta cozza bbe canta l’urtima rima!

Cozze, cuzzeddhre – Cozze, cuzzeddhre – Cozze cuzzeddhre a little old man used to sell them down in the street behind my house. Cozze cuzzeddhre, yes snails and little snails that old man sold passing down the street around my home when I was a little boy. When I was a little boy I did not know certain things of history or geography that happened to you, my Salento. Cozze, cuzzeddhre – Cozze, cuzzeddhre – Of those Messapi and Salentinians, those ancient peasants, conquered, dominated, ruined by history. And who is able to count how many these rulers were whom crushing the whole South, cozze and cuzzeddhre have devoured. Na na na, the world goes as you take it, you take it up your ass, always backward it goes. When I was a little boy I did not know certain things of history or geography that happened to you, my Salento. Of those Messapi and Salentinians, those ancient peasants, conquered, dominated, ruined by history. And who is able to count how many these rulers were whom crushing the whole South, cozze and cuzzeddhre have devoured. Now the Greeks, then the Romans, now the Patriarchs and the Christian Popes, Swaebians, Normands, Aragonese, and then the Turks: “Oh! Mother, the Turks!!” And with the Muslim Turks, the Piedmontese and the Italian Governments, Napoleon, the British, Russians, The Nazi, the Fascists and the Americans! From Greece rises up the morning light and the dying sun dives towards the Americas. We, like snails, try to get by: slow, pretty, and tasty. Ueh! Wake up you southerners because troubles are persistent, It has been a long time that the time to change and sing as one has come: Suck us, honeys! All of us, the whole basketful and when you’ll have your mouth full, this snail will sing the last rhyme for you.