Traditional music
A true cultural crossroads, Sicily has recorded in many of its musical traditions Arab, Spanish or Greek influences. This is particularly palpable in hymns such as the carters' songs which, although the profession has disappeared, are still commonly sung. This is far from being the only thing that is sung on the island, because in Sicily... we sing all the time. You only need to spend a little time on the island to realize that here, regardless of age, everyone sings at the top of their voices, hums, whistles and even sometimes screams, in the street, in restaurants or in the markets. Since the Middle Ages, these markets have been the breeding ground for traditional folk songs, sometimes the most complex, which have inspired many composers: from Bellini, son and glory of Catania, to Luciano Berio, who recorded the songs of the fishermen and the cries of the Sicilian markets in his works. Listen to the early morning fishmongers of Catania or Palermo trying to sell you the smallest sardine! Let yourself be intoxicated by their melodies and, between the volutes, you will be able to distinguish Arabian origins... Another typical air of the island, La Siciliana is among the most emblematic. Dance music that appeared around the seventeenth century, it is characterized by its slowness, its dotted rhythms and could be similar to a tarantella. Pastoral, bucolic and sentimental, La Siciliana can be found several times in the work of Alessandro Scarlatti, for example in La Gloria di Primavera (1716).
Not surprisingly, Sicily uses many traditional instruments such as the ciaramedda, a type of zampogna (Italian bagpipe family), the friscaletto, a small flute made of cane from Provence that is very popular, the marranzanu, a harp with jaws, or theorganetto, a popular diatonic accordion dating from the 19th century. On the percussion side, there is the cupa cupa, a friction drum with a unique sound.
Another specificity of Sicily is the passion for traditional brass bands, called banda, which are an integral part of the island's heritage. Every town or village has one, accompanying the processions during the great religious festivals. The most famous of them is undoubtedly Banda Ionica which, although it focuses on the traditional music of Campania, Calabria or Sicily, does not hesitate to add touches of classical music, opera or jazz. Today, Sicilian musicians such as Saro Tribastone make the traditional sounds of Sicily - and even of southern Italy and the Mediterranean - travel by mixing them with world music.
A good opportunity to approach the Sicilian musical traditions is to go to the International Festival of Sacred Music. More than just a musical event, it is also a symbol of traditional Sicilian culture, with a high level program featuring many local artists. The Sagro del Mandorlo in Fiore festival in Agrigento, which is less well known, also offers a beautiful panorama of the discipline. Otherwise, the Teatro Ditirammu in Palermo has a space dedicated to the memory of popular songs and traditions.
Classical music
True local pride, you can't miss the few sacred monsters that Sicily gave birth to, starting with Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725). Although Sicilian, he studied music in Naples. His first opera was a great success and opened the doors of the Roman salons, where he was at the service of the nobles and religious of the Eternal City. From 1684 onwards, he divided his life between Naples and Rome according to the positions and offices he held. His main work remains Il Trionfo dell'onore, first performed in Rome where it was applauded, then in Naples where it was performed 18 times! Alessandro Scarlatti introduced his son Domenico (1685-1757) to music at an early age. While working as an organist in Naples, he composed religious music and operas. After a brief stay in Venice, where he met Handel and Gasparini who influenced his art, he redoubled his activity in Rome, but in 1720 he entered the service of the King of Portugal in Lisbon as Master of the Court Chapel. In 1729 he worked at the Spanish court in Madrid, where he followed the infanta Maria Barbara. His work consists of a number of sonatas and some operas written in his early years.
Another Sicilian glory in music: Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835). He is one of the most important Italian opera composers. Son of a modest Sicilian organist, he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Naples. Very well known in Italy, he left for London, then for Paris, where he became a friend of Chopin, Cherubini and Liszt. His most famous operas, immortalized by Callas, are La Somnambule, Norma (1831) and Les Puritains (1835). Finally, it is worth noting that it was in Italy, and for a time in Sicily, that Richard Wagner (1813-1883) sought refuge from Germany, which he eventually detested, before dying in Venice. In Palermo (at the Hotel des Palmes) he completed his testament and masterpiece Parsifal, an unsurpassable monument in the history of music that opened the door to Debussy's modernity. Wandering through the streets of the city, amidst the dilapidated, gutted palaces, and especially at dusk, you will better understand why the orchestration took on such funereal and twilight tones. Less famous, Sicily is also the birthplace of Errico Petrella (1813-1877), the most popular opera composer of the mid-nineteenth century, until Verdi.
More contemporary, Roberto Carnevale - an Italian composer, pianist and conductor strongly influenced by serialism and minimalism - and the very good cellist Giovanni Sollima - who does not hesitate to venture into jazz and rock - are children of Sicily. As well as Palermo's Salvatore Di Vittorio - composer and conductor, musical director of the Chamber Orchestra of New York - and Salvatore Sciarrino - one of the most played (if not the most played) composers in the world today - who are among the most prominent musicians in the world today.
It is also worth noting that the island has a dynamic philharmonic ensemble - the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra - which, over the years, has been conducted by many prestigious guest conductors: Stravinsky, Chailly, Muti, Milhaud, Penderecki and even Ennio Morricone. Its current conductor, the Belarusian Evgeny R. Bushkov, is regularly praised for his performances. The orchestra performs at the Teatro Politeama Garibaldi, one of the most beautiful theaters in Palermo. Built in 1859, recognizable by its round shape and neoclassical architecture, the building is worth a visit for itself. All year round, the place receives some of the most prestigious artists. Another important stage in the city, the Teatro Massimo is the third most important in Europe (in terms of surface area) after the Opéra Garnier in Paris and the Vienna Opera. Majestic because of its ancient Sicilian architecture incorporating elements of Greek temples, its dimensions allow it to accommodate 1,880 people. Now under the direction of Israeli conductor Omer Meir Wellber - also director of the prestigious BBC Philharmonic - the Teatro Massimo should quickly regain an international dimension thanks to its creative and modern approach. The Teatro Bellini in Catania hosts most of the city's operas and concerts. A renowned place for lyrical art. Also, every July and August, the city of Noto organizes NotoMusica, a series of classical concerts, often good, in the cloister San Domenico. A festival that has been going on for over 40 years.
Popular music
Sicily has carried through the generations some great voices that have made the tunes and traditions of the island travel with them. Among them, the most emblematic artist is without a doubt Rosa Balistreri (1927-1990). Her hoarse voice, full of melancholy, and her strong personality made her an icon of the 20th century. Throughout her career, the "Cantatrice du Sud" has never stopped singing the splendors and mysteries of her island. A career that owes much to the writer and playwright Dario Fo who propelled her by making her play in his shows. It is also the case of Ciccio Busacca, another great name of the Sicilian song who wrote a lot for the shows of the Nobel Prize. Other popular musicians who are steeped in their island include Franco Trincale, who has set his songs in the tradition of Sicilian storytellers, the Taberna Mylaensis, a group from the 1970s whose compositions were steeped in Sicilian traditions and stories, Etta Scollo, famous for her blend of local traditions, pop and jazz, Alfio Antico, a great drummer on frame and heir to the popular repertoire of Sicily, and Oriana Civile, a specialist in traditional music of the island and an important player in its renaissance. Today Mario Incudine, Franco Battiato, Carmen Consoli and Fratelli Mancuso are among the most popular musicians in Sicily. All of them sing (or have sung) in Sicilian languages and try to take the Sicilian traditions and colors to other genres and other lands (often rock or pop).
Jazz
A largely unknown fact, Sicily helped shape the sound of New Orleans. Between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the American city experienced a significant wave of migration from Sicily: the island's capital, Palermo, had established a cotton and citrus trade with New Orleans. As a result, a shipping line connected the two port cities, which allowed many Sicilians to migrate to New Orleans (among others). This is how much of New Orleans jazz was shaped by Sicilian music. The most famous example is the Original Dixieland Jass Band, founded by cornetist Nick LaRocca and drummer Tony Sbarbaro, both sons of Sicilian immigrants, who introduced the colors of the island into the city's jazz.
Today, Sicily has a dynamic jazz scene with names such as Enzo Rao and his band Shamal, who have added Sicilian and Oriental influences to American jazz, the great pianist Salvatore Bonafede and the young saxophonist Nicola Caminiti.
Sicily is an island in love with jazz, and of course it is home to a famous dedicated event: the Catania Jazz Festival. Since its creation in 1983, it has hosted the greats of the genre: Sun Ra Arkestra, McCoy Tyner, Ornette Coleman, Dizzy Gillespie, Wayne Shorter, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Jaco Pastorius. Otherwise, in Messina, the Picnic bar regularly programs them. No wonder: the owner is a jazzman himself!
