Francesco Loccisano and Marcello De Carolis are two guitarists from southern Italy who share a passion for a traditional folk guitar called “chitarra battente”.
“When we started with the instrument, which is typical of the musical traditions of the southern part of Italy, it seemed impossible to make use of it for soli and melodies. But after various experiments, a new sound took shape. It was so unique that we went for it. We eventually created a method (“La Chitarra Battente – Metodo Base”) published by fingerpicking.net, and worked on a repertoire of our own compositions which is included on the album “Venti” that was released in 2020.”
Francesco Loccisano is a classical guitar player from Calabria who became deeply interested in the nearly forgotten chitarra battente, an instrument that is part of the rich and varied musical heritage of his region.
After releasing his first two albums, Loccisano was invited in 2015 to join the Taranta Power Band of Italian world music legend Eugenio Bennato. He also appeared on the stage with Vinicio Capossela and Gianna Nannini.
Classical guitarist Marcello De Carolis founded the duo Cordaminazioni in 2015 with whom he released his first album. Through his friendship with Loccisano, De Carolis developed his own style on the chitarra battente.
The Loccisano and De Carolis duo has performed mostly in Italy in theaters, conservatories, and festivals auditoriums, and summer festivals. The duo is also performing internationally.
Discography:
Loccisano: Battente Italiana (2010); Mastrìa (2013); Solstizio (2017)
De Carolis: Cordaminazione (2015), The Eclectic Beating (2021)
Loccisano-De Carolis: Venti (2020)
Author: World Music Central News Room
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