Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino

Rooted in the Salento region in southern Apulia, Italy, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino has been exploring the traditional music of this area since 1975, shaped by Grecanic culture and the Griko language. Founded by writer Rina Durante, the ensemble was formed under the musical leadership of Daniele Durante before being taken over by his son, violinist and singer Mauro Durante, who steered it toward more open contemporary dialogues. Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino draws on the pizzica and the forms associated with the tarantella ritual, reworking them by blending acoustic instruments, strong rhythmic pulses and arrangements influenced by rock and various Mediterranean musics. The group performs on world-music stages in Italy, across Europe and in North America, and regularly takes part in collective projects around the “Notte della Taranta.” Its discography, which traces the project’s development, includes notably Pizzica Indiavolata (2010), Quaranta (2015), Canzoniere (2017) and Meridiana (2021), where the ensemble deepens the link between local memory and contemporary writing.