The Italian folk group "Radici a Sud", whose name means "south roots", since it is the origin of the musician who founded the group almost ten years ago, performs tarantellas and songs from several regions of Italy, mainly the south of the country. The most famous are the pizzica pizzica tunes, but the group also plays tarantellas from Calabria, Campania, Sicily, and Apulia. As the members of "Radici a Sud" themselves explain, tarantella is the most general term, common to all the Italian country, that describes a quick and “jumped” dance and its music. However, the group's repertoire includes not only tarantella but also traditional melodies from central Italy and newer songs inspired by tradition.
Principal instruments are tamburello (traditional frame drum with cymbals), mandolin, flutes, violin, accordion, battente guitar (an old model of four or five double or single strings used only for specific repertoire), bagpipes called zampogna, castanets, friction drum. The largest part of this music is played for dancing. "Radici a Sud" also introduces other wind instruments like clarinet and trumpet that are common in the South of Italy in the municipality brass band, to mix new sounds for playing serenades, and lullabies.
"Radici a Sud" members:
Marco Tosto - mandolin, tamburello (frame drum), lira calabrese (traditional fiddle from Calabria region), marranzano (Jewish harp);
Andrea Palermo - voice, acoustic guitar, and frame drum;
Marco Monfregola - violin, flutes and back vocals;
Alessia Squillace – clarinet;
Filippo Cantarella – viola;
Marie Gaboriaud – flute;
Alessandro Davi - trumpet and classic guitar;
Silvia Della Scala - dance and castanets.