Mascarimiri cantano Gli Ucci – Il bel canto di Cutrofiano (2024)
Southern Italian band Mascarimirì has reached its 25th anniversary, prompting the inception of the visionary project Mascarimirì cantano Gli Ucci. The album is a poignant homage to the influential Salento ensemble, Gli Ucci. This band was active from the 1970s through the 1990s. They were a popular fixture, performing at a wide range of events, including familial gatherings, weddings and the revered “festa del tamburello” in Cutrofiano, a tradition that endured until the nascent years of the 1990s.
Indeed, the luminaries of Ucci, Antonio Bandello, Antonio Aloisi, Antonio Casarano, Antonio Malerba, Antonio Melissano, Roberto Angelelli, Giuseppe Luceri, Luigi Vergari, Roberto Angelelli, and Leonardo Vergaro; collectively embody southern Italy’s equivalent to Buena Vista Social Club.
In the idyllic environs of Cutrofiano, these stalwarts, affectionately referred to as Uccio, birthed a musical renaissance, bequeathing to posterity an unparalleled and eclectic repertoire. This trove, fostered by seminal publications by Brizio Montinaro and Luigi Chiriatti as early as the 1970s, encompasses a rich set of narrative, labor, and protest songs.
Yet, it is the magnificent airs of Pizzica Pizzica that resonate most profoundly, epitomizing the quintessential call-and-response tradition, alongside masterpieces like “Lu Santu Lazzaro,” rendered uniquely in the Cutrofianese dialect. Other essential songs include evocative compositions such as “Uccia Canaglia,” “Lu Carderaru,” and “Mara l’Acqua.”
The emergence of Ucci heralded the beginning of a genuine academy of Salento singing, wherein taverns served as hallowed halls of instruction, imparting invaluable lessons in survival and societal integration, particularly within the male sphere of “guapperia.” Notably, figures like Uccio Aloisi, proficient in the art of fencing (la scherma), assumed a pivotal role during the nocturnal revelries of San Rocco in Torrepaduli, symbolizing the custodial stewardship of cultural traditions, epitomized by the “lu tamburreddhu” drum.
Musicians: Claudio Cavallo on vocals and tamburreddhu; Gabriele Martino on vocals and mandolin; Alessandro Schito on vocals; and Matteo Tornesello on electric guitar.
Guests: Francesco Mancini on classical guitar; Riccardo Luchena on electric bass; Nino Martella on drums,
Track List
- Gli Ucci
- Lu carderaru
- Femmane
- Mara l’acqua
- La figlia dell’oste
- Pizzica Pizzica – Gli Ucci de Cutrofiano
- Uccia canaglia
- La Barca di Roma
- La tabbaccara
- Aria de li trainieri
- Santu Lazzaru
- Tuppe e tuppe
- Santa Cesarea
Buy Mascarimirì cantano Gli Ucci
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.