Rhythm is the Cure - Southern Italian Tambourine Techniques

Ciao a tutti,

It is amazing to me how so many ancient rituals and beliefs actually had truth and or merit to them. I think, at least for myself, in our "modern" society thinking, I have been "encouraged" to discount so much as "old fashioned" that I didn't always give credit to how much the ancients really knew about many things. In some cases I am learning that some tribes, cultures, peoples, etc., knew more than I think we even know now about some things.

In the book "Rhythm is the Cure, Southern Italian Tambourine" Alessandra Belloni, the world's leading Tambourine artist, teaches healing modalities using the centuries old techniques of tambourining. The book is dedicated to the healing power of the Tarantella Rhythms specifically.

The book is available through MelBay Publishing or at Alessandra's website, www.AlessandraBelloni.com.

I was invited to the release party for the book for many reasons. First of all, over the past couple years, Alessandra and I have become friends.

Secondly, the book is accompanied by an instructional DVD. Well, that DVD features none other than yours truly as one of her three students learning how to drum right along side of her.

About a year ago Alessandra approached me with this project and asked me if I would be interested in helping her out. I was surprised she asked me because, I had taken one of her workshops before and I thought it was obvious at the time that I would have needed much more practice before making a sound come out of the tambourine like she made.

The truth of the matter is that my grandmother used to tambourine and, let me tell you, it is a beautiful thing to grow up with that music in the house. Talk about healing music. Us children would gather around her whenever she would play the tambourine. And no matter where we were in the house, if we heard her playing, we would all come running.

I always did want to learn how to play like her and I thought the workshop would be a good place to start. And it was, but it was also so much more. In the workshop we learned dancing and chanting and connecting with our bodies, etc. You would think we were in a "modern" class, but these were all ancient rituals Alessandra was teaching.

Unfortunately, the hours we spent together learning how to drum were not enough, and I never took the time afterwards to practice. So when I agreed to do the taping of the video for her I took it as another opportunity to improve my tambourining skills, and the viewers can watch me learn right along with them.

And so it was.

At the release party at the Remo Center in Hollywood, Alessandra performed some of the pieces from the book and DVD, as well as many others, with the help of some of her friends and audience members. I took refuge behind the camera and took pictures instead. Here are some of the fun ones, including a couple friends of Alessandra's, actor and director Randy Vasquez and fellow Italian-American Actor Milo Bianchi in this second to the last picture.

By the way, yes that is me. What, you don't recognize me with my hair greased up and pulled back?

He, he, he...

Filippo

P.S. Here is a short video of a tambourinist in Italy demonstrating one of the techniques very similar to one of the ones that Alessandra teaches and demonstrates in her video. (Music Only)

Alessandra Belloni's Tarantella - Alla Braziliana

Ciao a tutti,

Last night I had the pleasure of not only getting to see Alessandra Belloni again, but catching one of her shows. It is so interesting about Alessandra, every time I have seen her, she has never had the same show twice.

And I don't mean like she changes an element of the show or rearranges something, I mean, almost the complete show is different. But whether she has different musicians, or different dancers or different staging, etc., you are always aroused by her drumming and rhythmic frenzy.

This time she appeared at the Remo Center in North Hollywood. By the way Remo is world renowned for their unique drum skins invented by founder Remo Belli, an Italian with a great story himself. I hope to interview him for you all someday.

But back to Alessandra, this time she appeared with a large band and an amazing dance troupe. That is Alessandra with the Brazilian troupe after the show above, in the light blue shawl around her waist.



The show was about blending the the Italian Healing Rituals for the Black Madonna and the Tarantella with the BRAZILIAN RHTHYMS and DANCES OF THE ORIXAS, and boy was it. Right in the middle of her set out came these authentically dressed Brazilian dancers and singers doing a type of pilgrimage walk in rhythm while carrying an image of the Black Madonna.

I was so impressed in seeing this kind of thing in the States, all the way from Brazil, that I took out my camera and started taking pictures. Of course, I didn't want to disturb too much so I didn't use the flash. Well, guess what? Yup, they didn't come out so great. Besides, at one point the dancers were dancing so fast that the pictures came out blurry, and I have a pretty good camera too. That's how exciting the music was.

Above is a picture of Alessandra, the Brazilian troupe, a solo dancer, a musician and me.



By the way, I have been asked before from people who didn't know, what the Black Madonna was, and if it was a Satanist Saint. Absolutely not, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it is a Madonna that is worshiped all over Italy from the North to the South, I know that she is also the Patron Saint of Poland, and of course, we know now how revered she is in Brazil.

You can see an image of her behind us in the pictures above. Otherwise, I posted the above rendering of her, in a statue with the Baby Jesus, as found in a church in Oropa, Italy that I liked of all the renderings I researched for this post.

I understand Alessandra will be back in the Spring and I can't wait to see what kind of novelties she brings with her this time. Actually, I got a preview of what is coming along with a release of a new book of hers and I can't wait to tell you about it once I get my hands on it, and the accompanying DVD. Now, I think I have given too much away, he, he.

Afterwards I got to spend sometime talking with the musicians, the dancers and of course Alessandra.

Above I am pictured with one of the guitar players and fellow Italian-American Gregory Dormani and here with drummer Jerry Zacarias and musician Allynne.

Oh, and by the way, what do Italian entertainers do after a show? Why the answer is clear, isn't it? We go to an Italian restaurant for some soul food!

Buona Cena (To a Good Dinner),

Filippo

P.S. I thought in keeping with the theme of the Black Madonna and the Italian and Brazilian connection, since I showed an image of her from Italy above, I thought it only fitting to show a video of one of the churches dedicated to her, the Black Madonna, in Brazil. (Silent Video)