I Giullari di Piazza

See the I Giullari di Piazza website

I Giullari di Piazza (“The Jesters of the Court”) celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2020!

Devoted to presenting authentic Southern Italian music/dance/theater dating back to the 13th century, the group also creates new musical and theatrical works based on folk music and dance, ritual theater, and commedia dell' arte. The group's founders spent many years researching the songs, dances and ritual chants of southern Italy. The Italian-born Alessandra Belloni, called a “Mediterranean volcano,” is regarded as an important voice in traditional southern Italian music and dance today. She is the only woman in the US and in Italy who specializes in traditional Southern Italian folk dances and percussion that she learned from tradition bearers in Southern Italy. For over 20 years she participated in drumming festivals in remote areas of Southern Italy, held as rituals of purification in honor of the Black Madonna. She was voted as one of the top percussionists in the worldbeat category by Drum magazine and has toured worldwide, appearing at major festivals and venues. John La Barbera is an award-winning composer and recognized as one of the first transcribers of Southern Italian folk music in America. The composer of original folk operas for I Giullari di Piazza, he has also written works for such documentary films as Sacco and Vanzetti (2007) and the Academy Award-nominated Children of Fate (1992). 

I Giullari de Piazza spent ten years in residence at the Center for Italian Studies at New York University, and has been artist-in-residence for 15 years at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The group's acclaimed productions include Tarantella - Spider Dance; Stabat Mater: Donna de Paradiso, the Easter Opera; The Dance of the Ancient Spider, a trip into the world of exorcisms; The Voyage of the Black Madonna, depicting Virgil's trip around the world in search of the Black Madonna; The Adventures of Don Giovanni and His Servant Pulcinella, performed in commedia dell'arte style; and La Cantata dei Pastori, the humorous Christmas show that was performed as it has been for hundreds of years in street presentations in Naples.  

The company has toured Italy and the US, appearing at such venues as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Madison Square Garden, the Smithsonian Institute, the Metropolitan Museum, Giants Stadium, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. It was featured in Spider Sex, a National Geographic documentary on spiders in which the group performed an authentic tarantella as a healing trance ritual.  The company can be heard on many recordings, including Tarantelle e Canti d'Amore (Naxos World) and Tarantata: The Dance of the Ancient Spider (Sounds True), which was named one of the best world music CDs of the year (2002) in the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. 

Learn more About I Giullari di Piazza

Among the lush Commedia dell'Arte  productions offered by  I Giullari di Piazza are:

TARANTELLE E CANTI D'AMORE

MUSIC AND DANCE CONCERT  

 now available for touring

 presents a program of ecstatic dances, musical exorcisms, and the tarantella trance dance. The program includes excerpts from the company's production “Tarantella - Spider Dance” which feature the wild erotic dance ritual (pizzica tarantata) from Southern Italy used to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula (“the bite of love”). This ancient healing trance dance and exorcism was used to cure a mental disorder called tarantismo, which afflicted mainly women, who felt stuck in the spider web of their society. The program also includes the tarantella delle streghe (witches' dance) from the Renaissance; the medieval danza della morte, the spinning dance of death performed on stilts; powerful ritual drumming and healing chants in honor of the Black Madonna; lullabies; love ballads; and original songs by Alessandra Belloni and John La Barbera, the group's co-founders and directors.

Alessandra Belloni (vocals, percussion, ritual dance) and John La Barbera (chitarra battente - Renaissance folk guitar, mandolin) are joined by Steve Gorn (clarinet, saxophone, bansuri flute), Joe Deninzon (violin, vocal), Wilson Montuori (guitars), Vinnie Scialla and Gordon Gottlieb (percussion), stilt dancer Mark Mindek, acrobatic dancer Fran Sperling. and dancers Francesca Silvano, Caterina Rago, and Greta Campo.

 

"LA CANTATA DEI PASTORI"
(The Shepherd's Cantata)

A Neapolitan renaissance Christmas Play

Told by masked character of Commedia dell”Arte, puppets, Archangel Gabriel on stilts, narrated in english by LA BEFANA (the Good Witch of Christmas) featuring Antonio romano on the Italian Bagpipe

Back under popular demand

The play is set just before the birth Christ, during Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem, and the devil has dispatched his demons to stop the saviour's birth. Their escapades are entwined with those of Razzullo, one of the Pulcinella masks here depicted as a comic, mischievous Neapolitan scribe to is always hungry. Conjuring up tempests, dragons and other unseemly tricks, the demons try to do away with the play's characters but all are under the Angel Gabriel's protection and the holy couple finally reaches Bethlehem. Before good triumphs over evil, there is an incredible clash, in dance between the archangel and the devil and a grotesque, but humorous, depiction of heaven and hell.

After 7 years the company will revive a new version of this show, as they enter their 31st year anniversary.

FEATURING THE NEAPOLITAN SINGER /ACTOR GIUSEPPE DE FALCO IN THE ROLE OF RAZZULLO the pulcinella character that leads the story of la cantata dei pastori.

artistic director Alessandra Belloni also  in the role , of Mary -mezzo soprano, percussion,

John La Barbera - music Director classical and renaissance folk guitar,  mandolin

- Max Mc Guire - la Befana

-Mark Mindek Archangel Gabriel on stilts

Joe Deninzon – devil, violin - 

Susan Eberenz flute piccolo recorders

 Enrico Granafei, as fisherman/devil

James Karcher - Main devil , sward fighter

Francesca Silvano - dancer, sheperdhess, devil

Sebastian La Barbera - young devil fiddler

 and special children's participation as shepherds and angels

 

“The Voyage of the Black Madonna” and “Earth, Sun and Moon,”

These productions, comprise a multi-cultural cast. These performances draw parallels between the cultural and musical traditions of Southern Italy with those of Africa, and Latin and Native America. These rituals date back to the ancient cult of the Mother Earth Goddess. We believe that through this unique theatrical experience we can bring different races together and help save humanity from self-destruction. As artists we feel that our work must grow and be dedicated to the most important issues of our age and society. To expand our audience and to convey this message we have reached one of the most visible spaces in New York, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. In this location we have drawn audiences from the Hispanic and African-American Communities of the neighborhood as well as our regular Italian-American audience.

“Stabat Mater: Donna de Paradiso”

This production premiered to a wide audience and critical acclaim during Easter season of 1995 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. In the Italian and Spanish traditions, Passion Plays are represented during Easter, as ritual drama in the form of procession with traditional music and costumes, with actors and statues playing the roles of Mary and Jesus. With its procession of penitents, stations of the cross, ritual music, dance and drama, the “Stabat Mater” provided people of Italian and Hispanic descent, as well the general public, with a meaningful celebration of life and of the Mother.

 

 

Upcoming Events

Previous events

To celebrate the holidays Italian style, the 43rd anniversary of I GIULLARI DI PIAZZA and our music directors birthday! John La Barbera , sharing food, drink and wonderful music while we celebrate four decades of Alessandra's Belloni's work! During this holiday end-of-year fundraiser, you will meet special people as we also honor Tony and Obie award-winning producing artist and formerly Artistic/Executive Director of Cherry Lane Theatre Angelina Fiordalisi, Award Winning actor Saverio Guerra, Director & Cinematographer Lisa Leone, and Award-Winning Author, Therapist & CEO Alex Iantaffi. Tickets: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/igiullaridipiazza/1043310? You will have the opportunity to listen to Alessandra Belloni, author of the book "Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna", published by Inner Traditions-Bear & Company. This fund raiser will also help Alessandra raising funds for her upcoming knee surgery December 21, and her recovery time. This will be such a special celebration of over four decades of work for I Giullari di Piazza, a non profit organization, who are artists in residence at the Cathedral of St. John Divine and who have also performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Symphony Space, to name but a few. The joyous afternoon will include a performance of "Tarantata," by award winning percussionist, singer, author Alessandra Belloni with composer, guitarist John La Barbera, founders of I Giullari di Piazza, in their famed production of "Tarantata," an impeccably researched production rich with songs, tarantellas, and magic rituals used to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula, along with healing chants and ritual drumming in honor of the Black Madonna. With its authentic music, costumes, and instrumentation, Belloni and company here unite the fascinating and similar legends, traditions, and musical rhythms of Southern Italy and Brasil. And, as always, the fun concludes with audience members being invited to join the cast for a "raise the roof" tarantella. Featuring: Alessandra Belloni - Artistic Director, Percussions and Vocals John La Barbera - Music Director, Composer, Guitar, Mandolin, Chitarra Battente Wilson Montuori - Guitar Joe Deninzon - Violin Steve Gorn - Bansuri Flutes, Saxophones, Clarinet Dancers - Amara & Mark Mindek also playing the commedia character Arlecchino www.alessandrabelloni.com www.igiullaridipiazza.org www.facebook.com/alessandrabelloni54 instagram@belloni.alessandra Press quotes: Don Hackman, writing in the Los Angeles Times, found that "Alessandra Belloni and "Tarantata: Dance of the Ancient Spider" is a revelation, utterly fascinating." Drum Magazine noted that "Italian-born virtuoso Alessandra Belloni is established as a unique phenomenon, not just a percussionist, but also an actress, lecturer, entertainer, and healer." Jon Pareles of The New York Times, reviewing an I Giullari di Piazza show, remarked that "Ms. Belloni sang in an exultant voice. The songs blazed with an age-old momentum." Do not miss this wonderful winter celebration of life, joy, and community! Tickets and donations include dinner and the performance, 75% tax deductible Can't make it to the fundraiser? You can still I Giullari di Piazza non-profit organization under the 501-c-3 code and Alessandra Belloni;s work by donating here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/black-madonna-center General Admission $125.00

Ticket plus a program listing and a CD $150.00

VIP Ticket plus a program listing, CD & Book $175.00

FILM PRESENTATION! Black Madonna Pilgrimage & Summer Solstice Musical Celebration in Sicily

On December 13th, 2023 Internationally renowned singer, percussionist, teacher Alessandra Belloni, Author of ‘HEALNG JOURNEYS WITH THE BLACK MADONNA” together with I Giullari di Piazza Italian Music and Dance company

Filmed, directed and edited by Francesco Piccolo in the summer 2023 produced by Alessandra Belloni & The Black Madonna Center Join us for A MUSICAL JOURNEY TO THE BLACK MADONNA IN SICILY & THE SUMMER SOLSTICE at the MEGALYTHS OF ARGIMUSCO & the ANCIENT SOLSTICE PAGAN FEAST OF U’ MUZZUNI December 13th Celebrating the Feast of Santa Lucia with the Sicilian Folk Music LA SANTA LUCIOTA We will begin with the screening of the film to be followed by live Sicilian Folk Music, featuring: ALESSANDRA BELLONI , artistic director vocals & percussion JOHN LA BARBERA , music director , guitarist & composer , chitarra battente & mandolin STEVE GORN on bansuri flutes, saxophone and clarinet WILSON MONTUORI – Guitar – JOE DENINZON - violin Joseph Giannini accordion and vocals (to be confirmed) · Special guests from Sicily on zoom from the group SUDCANTICA: Federico Chiofalo - accordion, tambourine, guitar, Sebastiano Pietrini - vocals, guitar, tambourine, Santino Scordino – vocals, bagpipe, tambourine, Jew’s harp Francesco Piccolo- film director, editor

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