THIRD WEEK OF ITALIAN CUISINE IN THE WORLD
As the legend goes, there was only one way to survive the bite of a tarantula and the workers in the fields of Apulia discovered it. When the spider bit you and the venom started to move within your body, you had to move with it and the only way to flush out the poison was to dance.
And it was from this story that the traditional dance of the Salento region, called the pizzica, which literally translates as ‘bite’, was born.
On the occasion of the Third Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, La Notte della Taranta – Italy’s biggest foundation devoted to preserving pizzica and its tradition – is bringing their amazing dancers and musicians with their unique, Southern Italian sound to the Embassy of Italy In Washington DC.
During the performance, a tasting of fine wines and delicacies celebrating the Italian region of Puglia will be offered thanks to the generous support of Regione Puglia.
LOCATION
Embassy of Italy
3000 Whitehaven St NW
Washington, DC 20008
REGISTRATION & PHOTO ID REQUIRED
DOORS OPEN 30 MINUTES PRIOR EVENT START-TIME
Due to new safety regulations, we are not allowed to add extra seats to the auditorium or let anyone stand. A registration is not a guarantee of a seat as these are assigned on a first-come first-served basis. Doors close at event start-time. Ticket availability date subject to change.
RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH EVENTBRITE. NO PHONE OR EMAIL RSVP AVAILABLE
PREVIEW (via YouTube)
ABOUT LA NOTTE DELLA TARANTA FOUNDATION
“La Notte della Taranta” is Italy’s biggest music festival and one of Europe’s most important events dedicated to traditional culture. It takes place in Salento and is dedicated to the re-discovery and valorization of Salento’s folk music and its fusion with other types of music – from world music to rock, from jazz to classical music.
Born in 1998 by initiative of the “Unione dei Comuni della Grecìa Salentina” and the “Diego Carpitella” Institute, the festival has enjoyed tremendous growth in size, audience and international prestige in the past years. There have been several key milestones in its development: in 2000 the “Festival Itinerante” was started, a collective of the most representative groups of the “pizzica salentina” scene which today covers fifteen towns (those belonging to the “Unione dei Comuni della Grecìa Salentina” plus Lecce, Galatine, Alessano and Cursi), attracts nearly 200,000 spectators and prepares the “Concertone”, the highlight of the Festival. In 2004, the “La Notte della Taranta” Popular Orchestra was created thanks to Ambrogio Sparagna, an eclectic cultural (folk) band active throughout the year in Italy and abroad; and from 2010 onwards, the “La Notte della Taranta” Foundation became responsible for the organization of the Festival.
The Festival’s formula, which culminates in the “Final Concertone di Melpignano” (Lecce), is made unique by inviting a “Maestro Concertatore” to arrange and interpret classics from the local musical tradition, directing a group of nearly thirty musicians from Salento together with exceptional guests from Italy and abroad. The “Concertone” alone attracts around one-hundred and fifty thousand spectators, while tens of thousands follow the final rehearsals the day before.