The Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power Experience Part 3

Day 3: The Reception and the Concert or When RAd Totally Experienced the Taranta Power

All I really wanted right from the was just to have access to Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power during their stint here in Manila so that I’d have more material for my blog. I still could’ve written something about them even if I didn't have any access at all. I would've just watched them from a distance but I felt that things could be more special if I could take it a step further and really go for it. Thankfully, the Embassy of Italy gave me access to the group and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. But they also took it a step further and invited me to take part in the Italian National Day reception at the Ayala Museum lobby.

RAd with Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power

Despite feeling like a lost kid in the woods at first when I entered the museum, I did manage to enjoy the reception very much. I was able to see a few people from the press conference a couple of days earlier and I updated them with what happened during the lecture/demo/clinic the day before. I also got the opportunity to talk to several members of the diplomatic corps while we were enjoying the Italian food and wine that were served. Many of them were curious about the Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power concert happening after the reception since they still had no idea about what Tarantella music is all about. And it was such a delight explaining to them a bit about what Tarantella is all about and I hoped that my explanation made them excited to see the concert.

RAd with Italian Ambassador Luca Fornari
and his wife Silvana Novelli Fornari

I was so glad that I was finally able to thank Italian Ambassador Luca Fornari and his wife Silvana Novelli Fornari for all the music and cultural events that they had brought here during the past year. And I was also pleased to see Israeli Ambassador Zvi Vapni and his wife Limor Vapni as well. And then I remembered that I’ve been invited to both countries’ national day celebrations because of my involvement with music.

After the reception was over, the guests took a short walk to the Fashion Walk over at Greenbelt 5 for what was my most awaited event of the evening: the concert. And one couldn’t fail but notice the Vespa scooters that were on exhibit once they stepped outside the museum and there was also another display near the performance area at the Fashion Walk. And as an added treat, a gelato and coffee station were setup as well and anyone could just line up and get them for free. Availing free scoops of gelato and shots of espresso just made me more excited for the concert to start.

Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power

And then the concert finally started as Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power composed of Ezio Lambiase (guitars), Mohammed El Alaoui Ezzaime (vocals), Valter Vivarelli (percussion), Stefano Simonetta (bass) and Sonia Totaro (vocals and dancer) walked on stage. I initially prepared to take down notes regarding the actual performance and I also planned to obtain a copy of the set list for reference so that I can observe and find out which song the audience liked the most. But I failed to do any of this since I immediately got lost in the music and decided to completely forget about blogging and just enjoy the concert. I couldn’t even figure out how I was able to get any decent photos that night since holding still proved to be very difficult as I really got the urge to dance. I guess that the combination of the alcohol from the wine and the caffeine from the espresso shots really got me in a party mood.

Eugenio Bennato 

As the concert went on, people really got into the party mood as well as many left their seats and went right in front of the stage in an area were they could dance. I wasn’t able to dance during the lecture/demo since I got busy playing the tambourine but I wasn’t able to contain it during the concert so I ended up dancing as well.

Mohammed El Alaoui Ezzaime

But the best moment for me was definitely during the band’s encore performance. Three participants from the lecture/demo were invited joined the band on stage to showcase how the Filipinos were able to connect with the Tarantella music. The first two who performed onstage were dancers from the Lyceum Dance Troupe and they joined Sonia in her dance to the delight of the crowd since they were able to hold their own despite only having a day to learn the steps. And then the next one to join the band was nobody else but me since I also participated at the group’s lecture/demo. I then entered the stage, grabbed one of the bigger tambourines and played alongside Valter. It was such a blast being able to perform on stage considering that I am not a percussionist at all and that I even played badly the day before. But it was no time for me to be scared since this was a once in a lifetime moment not just for me, but for the two dancers as well. The concert was almost at an end (since it was already an encore performance) so I just had to enjoy the moment as much as I can before it everything was over. It was an exhilarating sensation performing on stage with everybody else just jamming and having fun. And I found it really odd that I didn’t get nervous at all like how I usually did whenever I was about to perform. I guess that this is what happens when one experiences the Taranta Power.

RAd with Emanuela Adesini, Cultural Attaché of the Italian Embassy

The past three days had been such an awesome time and this was made possible through the kindness and generosity of Ms. Emanuela Adesini, Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of Italy, Ms. Cristina Moricca of the Philippine-Italian Association and Ms. Irene Rada of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. My Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power experience has indeed come to an end. But I do hope that they’d be back soon and if they ever need an additional percussionist, I am just here. Until then, I'd keep on practicing triplets with the tambourine.

Day 1: The Press Conference or When Eugenio Bennato Learned How to Use the Chopsticks

Day 2: The Lecture/Demo or When RAd Learned How to Play Triplets with the Tambourine

The Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power Experience Part 2

Day 2: The Lecture/Demo or When RAd Learned How to Play Triplets with the Tambourine

Eugenio Bennato playing the chitarra battente

The day when Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta power conducts the masterclass, lecture, clinic, demo, or whatever you may want to call it was the day that I’d been looking forward to ever since I’ve read about the group’s itinerary. I wouldn’t mind missing the group’s other events just as long as I was able to attend this one. But then again looking back, I think that things would’ve turned out very differently if I hadn’t been at the press conference the day before.

First of all if I wasn’t at the press conference, I would’ve gone to the lecture held at the Little Theater at the Cultural Center of the Philippines without ever hearing the group’s music. Second, I would still be a stranger to Bennato, the rest of the band and also to the people from the Italian Embassy and the Philippine-Italian Association. But because I was at the press conference, I was able to have an idea as to what their music is really all about courtesy of the CD’s given to the press. I was also able to meet Bennato and the rest of the band namely Ezio Lambiase (guitars), Mohammed El Alaoui Ezzaime (vocals), Valter Vivarelli (percussion), Stefano Simonetta (bass) and Sonia Totaro (vocals and dancer) personally. I also was able to have a conversation with Stefano about the evolution and the different forms of Tarantella. I guess that meeting them even just once the day before made me more comfortable and probably more daring during the lecture.

Valter Vivarelli with the tambourine

The audience during this afternoon lecture was composed mainly of college students. Notable as well was the presence of a handful of sisters along with a class of novices. It was such a sight to behold and this really sparked my interest as I waited for the affair to begin. To start the lecture, Eugenio Bennato and the rest first played a traditional Tarantella piece that was passed on from one generation to another to the point that no one ever knew who originally wrote the said piece.

Right after that was when things started to get interesting. Bennato started telling the audience what their music is all about. He basically said the same things during the press con but the main difference was that during this day, he had the music to back him up. So when Bennato talked about the importance of the tambourine, as small as it is compared to the other instruments that the band used, Valter was there to play it. Not only he demonstrated how to play it, he even asked a few people from the audience to try it as well. Right then and there, I knew that I wouldn’t let this opportunity pass so I was one of the three volunteers who was able to learn how to play triplets with the tambourine.

Stefano Simonetta (bass) and Ezio Lambiase (guitar)

The technique seemed easy at first: hit the head of the tambourine with the whole length of the thumb on the first, accented beat. The second beat is made by rotating the wrist inward and hitting the head with the back of the hand. And the third beat is made by rotating the hand outward and hitting the head with the other four fingers. And this position prepares the thumb to strike at the next beat and that's basically how a triplet is played. It was quite easy when done at a slow tempo. But when the tempo accelerated, I missed many times, forgot the accent and was basically weak in all areas to my dismay. So what happened after we were taught how to play? We then had to play with them. I did very badly during the first piece and I think that I made a fool of myself on stage. But Valter didn’t mind at all and told us that it takes a lot of practice in order to be good at it. And he was indeed very good at it since he made it look so easy. I was able to try two of the tambourines and one of them was just a drumhead without any zils (that produces the jingling sound) and I liked playing with that better.

Tarantella is not just about the music since there’s a dance element to it. So if I was able to try the tambourine, the other audience members, even the sisters and the novices, were able to learn how to dance the Tarantella courtesy of Sonia. Some members of the audience who participated are dance company members and despite their dance background, they found the Tarantella quite tiring. They felt their calves burning since they were mainly on the balls of their feet while dancing. At first, the girls were taught the steps and then it was the boys’ turn. And then it was nonstop dancing as both boys and girls shared the floor. And then, during the final piece when a lot of people were dancing, even Ambassador Luca Fornari joined in as well. I wanted to observe and watch the dancing but I had to keep up with the tambourine or else I would mess up again. Thankfully I did better the second time around despite the song played being in common time (4/4 time signature). Remember that we were only taught how to play triplets (6/8 time signature).

Sonia Totaro and Mohammed El Alaoui Ezzaime

It didn’t surprise me that people reacted this way towards the music. Even if Sonia didn’t demonstrate how to the dance the Tarantella, the people in the audience would’ve eventually danced to it in whatever way that they wanted. Such is the power of this Tarantella music. Honestly, I didn’t understand the lyrics of any of the songs that were performed but the melody and the rhythm were able to communicate and get through to me which only proves that music is indeed the universal language. It is not easy to put into words how Tarantella sounds like since one must listen to it in order to understand. Yet I think that listening is still not enough since one must see how the musicians interact with one another in order to have a clearer grasp of this music. But in order to really experience the Tarantella, I believe that one must try to be an active participant in it either by dancing to it or by playing it. I was really glad to jam with the group as a part of the percussion section (despite playing badly) since now I can say, that I’ve really experienced Tarantella.

So ends my second day with the group. I’ve said in the beginning that if I was able to just attend this lecture/demo, I wouldn’t mind at all if I missed the other events. I take it all back since the lecture only made me want to experience more and there is indeed more to come.

Sonia teaching how to dance the Tarantella

Day 1: The Press Conference  or When Eugenio Bennato Learned How to Use the Chopsticks
Day 3: The Reception and the Concert or When RAd Totally Experienced the Taranta Power

The Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power Experience Part 1

Day 1: The Press Conference or When Eugenio Bennato Learned How to Use the Chopsticks

Modern father of the Tarantella, Eugenio Bennato

With a heavy dose of courage coupled with the kindness of Ms. Emanuela Adesini, the Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of Italy, I was given the wonderful opportunity to have a unique musical experience during the visit of Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power here in the Philippines.

The group’s visit in the country is in line with this year's celebration of the Italian National Day. As I’ve written before in a previous entry, they are scheduled to have a concert and a lecture/demo. But before these events happen, they met members of the press first at the Shang Palace inside the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. I was a bit intimidated at first at the press conference when I found out that I was the only blogger there. But the other people were so warm and friendly and were also interested in what I do and blog about and that did make me feel at ease. Besides, we were all there for a common purpose, to meet Eugenio Bennato and the rest of the band.

After brief introductions, Bennato started to talk about the history of the Tarantella, the ritual dance of southern Italy. He said that traditionally, the dance was thought of to be the cure for a poisonous spider’s bite. Whoever was bitten by this spider had to dance frantically for hours in order to flush out the poison. I’m not sure if this method has been approved by the medical world or if anyone still resorts to this method in order to cure this malady.

But it cannot be denied that Tarantella, the dance and the accompanying music stood the test of time. Bennato then mentioned how this music and dance have undergone a revival among the youth in Southern Italy through the Taranta Power which he founded back in 1998. And this music is very much different from the traditional Tarantella and even from the kind of Tarantella which is catered to tourists. And that the success of this resurgence stemmed from the youth rediscovering their roots.

Someone asked if Tarantella could be considered as Italy’s equivalent to the Flamenco of Spain. Bennato answered that it is since both have strong rhythms, a Mediterranean feel, and elements of North African music. He also added that both Tarantella and Flamenco value the relationships of the musicians during performances.

He then proceeded to introduce the other members of his band who are Ezio Lambiase (guitars), Mohammed El Alaoui Ezzaime (vocals), Valter Vivarelli (percussion), Stefano Simonetta (bass) and Sonia Totaro (vocals and dancer). He mentioned that Valter, while being the youngest, is very important to the group since he establishes the rhythm, a very important element of the Tarantella. Also mentioned was Mohammed since his vocals give the group’s sound that North African flavor which is not surprising since he is from Morocco.

As a side note, it was very amusing to see Bennato and some of the band members try using the chopsticks for the first time while the press conference was happening. And another amusing moment was when I finally met Cristina Moricca of the Philippine-Italian Association whose husband I’ve met before at a comicbook store.

Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power with the event organizers

The press conference was such a tease since all we heard was what Bennato and the others had to say about the music. But that doesn’t even come close compared to actually hearing the music itself. Fortunately, we were given audio CD’s of Taranta Power and I immediately listened to them once I got home. I haven’t even finished the first CD that I played when I told myself that it would be truly awesome to see the group perform this music live. And the chance to see and hear them perform live would come a day later.

Day 2: The Lecture/Demo When RAd Learned How to Play Triplets with the Tambourine
Day 3: The Reception and the Concert or When RAd Totally Experienced the Taranta Power

Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power to highlight Italian National Day Celebrations

Masterclass

June 1, 2011, 2:00 PM

Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater)

CCP Complex

Pasay, Metro Manila

Concert

June 2, 2011, 8:15 PM

Greenbelt 5 Fashion Walk

Ayala Center, Makati

Featuring:

Eugenio Bennato, band leader

Ezio Lambiase, classical and electric guitar

Valter Vivarelli, percussion

Sonia Totaro, vocals and dancer

Time flies so fast and before I knew it, it’s been almost a year since that memorable Uto Ughi concert at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. That concert was part of the Italian National Day celebrations by the Embassy of Italy and they were so generous to share that musical event with the public.

For this year’s Italian National Day celebration, they’re extending their generosity once again with yet another musical treat but of a different kind. This year, they are bringing to us Eugenio Bennato and the Taranta Power. Looking at the info I was able to gather about this group, it seems that their music is a mix of folk featuring traditional instruments like the mandolin, acoustic guitar and the tambourine with modern touches like the use of the heavily distorted electric guitar and the electronic bass drum. And just like what their name suggests, they highlight the Tarantella, the ritual dance of Southern Italy that the group is trying to revive. Now that’s quite a departure from last year’s music genre.

Nonetheless, those who are into this kind of music or even those who would want to expand their musical horizons (that would be me) will have two opportunities to catch this group. One is their performance at the Greenbelt 5 Fashion Walk happening this June 2, 2011 at 8:15 PM. And the Italians are really generous since this concert is for free!

But before that on June 1, 2011 at 2:00 PM, Bennato and other members of the Taranta Power will also have a masterclass/clinic at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater). In here, people can learn more about the kind of music that they play. I’m familiar with the Tarantella since I’ve encountered this kind of music in some classical compositions so I’m interested to see and hear more about this directly from them. And since the Tarantella is a dance, there also will be a dance demonstration during the masterclass. So those who are into dance will have something to learn as well. I do believe that this is an excellent way to get psyched for their Greenbelt 5 performance the next day. And yes, the masterclass is also for free.

I do like to expose myself to different kinds of music whether they’re music from the various parts of the Philippines or from the rest of the world. That’s why I do make it a point to grab opportunities such as this whenever they come my way.

Tickets:
Free admission