CANTI NELLA MEMORIA

If the contours and contents of the reality in which we live were defined by a picture, a photograph, it would be interesting to observe the details that surround us today and compare them with those of the past. Images in colour and black and white, computers and pens, satellites and radio are just small elements that mark the changes which have taken place. It is strange how, in the various stages of growth and development, when the emphasis is on earning more and making progress, so much is forgotten, neglected, considered useless and old-fashioned. Progress inevitably changes our values: everything must be seen and stand out, no matter that it is destined to disappear and will never be remembered. The important thing is to make the most of now, to win. This is the colour photo. The black and white photograph, on the other hand, dull and perhaps even a little blurred, conveys the simplicity of a gesture, the warmth of a moment. It is still possible to capture the feelings, emotions and values that underlie the image. Nowadays people say it is the lack of these values that makes the difference between the past and the present and that, having broken with tradition, we have lost our bearings and no longer know who we are. Within this context, “Canti nella memoria” is an opportunity to rediscover a selection of traditional Italian folk songs. Tunes such as “La bella la va al fosso”, “Vola, vola, vola”, “Fenesta che lucive” and “La Valsugana” are typical images of sound, that immediately portray particular and unique aspects of life in various regions of Italy, from Lombardy to Abruzzo, from Campania to Trentino Alto Adige: rich sources of history, folklore and tradition. The work is a small contribution to the important quest for these values and a means for rediscovering the significance of tradition and its meanings.