The Night of Tarantella versus The Caluş Festival in the Midst of a Pandemic

Unfortunately, this year will see a complete different organization of the 23rd edition of the concert in Melpignano, Puglia; it will be held behind closed doors, due to the pandemic that has had a stark impact worldwide, precisely as it strongly affected most regions of Italy. Therefore, the concert will be broadcast on the Italian channel Rai 2 on Friday 28th August at 10.45 pm. The musical performance is a symbol of a tribute paid to the traditional music of Salento. The renowned composer Paolo Buonvino, along with, will bring joy to their viewers admiring the performance from home by including an emotional soundtrack, as the concert takes inspiration mainly from both various musical traditions and the current situation in Salento, thus the two musicians strive to encapsulate the image of people’s misfortunes over the past few months, during lockdown, as everyone seems to have forgotten how to smile lately. Moreover, the accompaniment will also cover a mixture of popular customs of the pizzica dance and the world of cinematography. Two notorious orchestras will be performing from the stage of Melpignano, namely the Orchestra Popolare “La Notte della Taranta†and the Orchestra Roma Sinfonietta. The decision to postpone the live performance of the festival was made in order to avoid further transmission of the COVID-19 virus. At the same time, the festival is dedicated to the lion-hearts who fight against the viral disease. The final concert will be held three years from now, in 2023.