TAMMORRIATA

In southern Italy, a ritual style of music and dance honors deities from pre-Christian times. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by the American Museum of Natural History.

“One of the most beautiful dances in our tradition is called Tammorriata. Tammorriata means drumming. It’s done in the summer outside churches, in honor of the Black Madonna, but it goes back to the ancient rites of the Earth Mother, Chibela.”

Alessandra Belloni is the Artistic Director of I Giullari di Piazza, a group which performs traditional music from southern Italy.

“All the southern Italian folk culture, rhythms and dance, are pre-Christian originally. They’re still very pagan in celebration. So even though the Catholic church tried to absorb the festivities so that it became the Black Madonna identified with the mother of Christ, in reality it was Chibela or Isis of the Goddess Diana. So the black madonna, as now seen as mother of Christ, represents all of these goddesses. And the people in these towns have never stopped the celebrations”

“The dance is very beautiful, done by couples playing castanets. And the movements are a mixture of lovemaking gestures and exorcism to send away the evil spirits. And it’s done all night long to the sounds of the large frame drum. And it’s all totally improvised.”

Pulse of the Planet is presented by the American Museum of Natural History. Additional funding for this series has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. I’m Jim Metzner.

TAMMORRIATA

An ancient Italian ritual honors pre-Christian deities.
Air Date:06/16/1999
Scientist:
Transcript:

In southern Italy, a ritual style of music and dance honors deities from pre-Christian times. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by the American Museum of Natural History.

"One of the most beautiful dances in our tradition is called Tammorriata. Tammorriata means drumming. It's done in the summer outside churches, in honor of the Black Madonna, but it goes back to the ancient rites of the Earth Mother, Chibela."

Alessandra Belloni is the Artistic Director of I Giullari di Piazza, a group which performs traditional music from southern Italy.

"All the southern Italian folk culture, rhythms and dance, are pre-Christian originally. They're still very pagan in celebration. So even though the Catholic church tried to absorb the festivities so that it became the Black Madonna identified with the mother of Christ, in reality it was Chibela or Isis of the Goddess Diana. So the black madonna, as now seen as mother of Christ, represents all of these goddesses. And the people in these towns have never stopped the celebrations"

"The dance is very beautiful, done by couples playing castanets. And the movements are a mixture of lovemaking gestures and exorcism to send away the evil spirits. And it's done all night long to the sounds of the large frame drum. And it's all totally improvised."

Pulse of the Planet is presented by the American Museum of Natural History. Additional funding for this series has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. I'm Jim Metzner.