Archive for the ‘music’ Category

Love Is All Around You

Love is knocking outside your door.

Hearts over the Ionian Sea

Hearts over the Ionian Sea

Waiting for you…

 

Love will find a way.

Love on, amici.


Zampogna: The Soul of Southern Italy

Traditionally shepherds played the zampogna — the bag part of the instruments used to be made exclusively with goat or sheep hide — but, much like the various dialects that run through southern Italy, so do the type of zampogne.

Read on...

Calabrese Folk Music from Tarantella Power 2010: Aquila Bella

As many of you know, my village was home to Tarantella Power again this year; I do have a video of tarantella music and dancing to share as well as more photos from the five-day (!) event, but first I want to share with you this video of one of my absolute favorite Calabrese folk songs, Aquila Bella:

The song is about a beautiful eagle that delivers a love letter to the singer’s beloved — unless she’s sleeping, in which case, the eagle is to let her sleep (and dream sweet dreams) because for her the night turns:

“Dorma gioiuzza, fai li sogni d’oru; Ca c’esta cu pe tia la notta gira.”

*le sigh*

Happy Love Thursday everyone!


Winners of Travellers Calabria Guidebook & Calabrian CD by Marasà

I know you’re anxious, but for those who may not have seen all the great things leading up to today’s announcement, do check out the rest of the week’s posts:

Now let’s get to it!

The winner of the Calabrian CD by Marasà is Victor Cina aka @victorcina on Twitter (a great person to follow by the way)!

And the five winners of Travellers Calabria guidebooks are:

Most of these winners entered several times, including tweets and FB postings, so it does pay to be persistent! I will email all of you for your details, but if for some reason you don’t hear from me, feel free to send along your mailing address through Twitter, FB, or email michellefabio5(at)gmail(dot)com.

For those of you who would still like a copy of Travellers Calabria (as well you should!), you can purchase one via this special link through which I would get a small commission:

Travellers Calabria by Lara Dunston and Terry Carter

Thanks so much to everyone who read and commented and especially to Lara Dunston and Terry Carter not only for writing a fabulous guidebook about Calabria but also for being so available to talk about it and the business of travel writing.

Buon weekend a tutti!


Kicking Off Travellers Calabria Week with Mimmo’s Music

Starting today and continuing until Friday, July 10,  we’re celebrating the fact that lil’ ole Calabria *finally* has a fabulous guidebook dedicated to her:

Travellers Calabria by Lara Dunston and Terry Carter

Travellers Calabria by Lara Dunston and Terry Carter

All this week, Lara will be here answering my questions and sharing Terry‘s and her gorgeous photos of bella Calabria.

If you want to start getting acquainted with this dynamic duo now:

  • Lara describes herself as a “perpetual globetrotter (60+countries) travel writer (40+books, 100s stories for world’s best publishers) living out of a suitcase since Jan 06” on Twitter (follow @laradunston) and blogs at Cool Travel Guide.
  • Terry is “a travel and editorial photographer and travel writer. He literally lives out of a suitcase accompanied by a couple of bags of photography gear.” Follow him @terencecarter on Twitter and read his blog at Wide angles, wine and wanderlust.

And you don’t want to miss a single day of the Q and A with Travel Writer Lara Dunston. Why not?

Because I will be giving away a copy of Travellers Calabria every day–that’s FIVE copies total.

Comment once on each post from Monday to Friday to be entered in the drawings; I will pick one winner from Monday’s comments, one from Tuesday’s, etc., and I will announce all the winners next Saturday. All comments must be entered by midnight CET on Friday, July 10.

For extra entries (one per day per person except as below), tweet or post about the contest on Facebook with a link to any one of the contest posts (although preferably this one since it will be the only one with all the rules) AND EMAIL ME TO LET ME KNOW at:

michellefabio5 (at) gmail (dot) com

I will enter your extra entry in the day in which you tweet/post appears, except for today; any tweets/posts today will be entered in the drawing that ends up with the fewest number of entries–which means you can get six extra entries if you tweet/post today and every day of the contest.

In the event you’re lucky enough to win two (or more) copies, you will have the choice of accepting all your winnings or having me pick another winner.

Any questions–feel free to ask!

And what’s a party without music?

Kicking things off is a new CD by my friend Mimmo’s band, Marasà. You may remember Mimmo from our New Year’s Eve celebration and discussion of the chitarra battente.

Well his band is back with their second CD, Sentéri:

Sentéri

This is Calabrese folk music with a twist–a famous Italian rock star (who happens to have a house in Badolato Superiore) even guests on the CD.

The songs are sung in local dialect, but the liner notes have the lyrics in both Italian and Calabrese; if you’re interested in a copy of the lyrics, let me know, and I’ll send you the PDF.

Curious as to what it sounds like?

Head over to Offma, where you can also buy your own copy for 12 euros, or to Marasà’s MySpace page, where you can listen to samples and also, for those of you who will be in southern Italy over next couple months, where you can catch them live in concert–they’re kicking the summer tour off tonight right here in Badolato Superiore. Lucky us!

And, aw heck, since I’m feeling generous, I’ll even give away a copy of the new Marasà CD to a lucky commenter. To be eligible, comment on THIS post by midnight CET on Friday, July 10.

Viva la Calabria!


Michelle KaminskyMichelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived. 

Calabria Guidebook

Calabria travel guide by Michelle Fabio

Recipes

 

Homemade apple butter
Green beans, potatoes, and pancetta
Glazed Apple Oatmeal Cinnamon Muffins
Pasta with snails alla calabrese
Onion, Oregano, and Thyme Focaccia
Oatmeal Banana Craisin Muffins
Prosciutto wrapped watermelon with bel paese cheese
Fried eggs with red onion and cheese
Calabrian sausage and fava beans
Ricotta Pound Cake