Traditional
Music
There are not many folk musicians in the
area still performing traditional melodies and songs. The most
prominent are Tandarandan.
Examples of their work are as follows:
Traditional Dance
Ballo liscio (ballroom dancing) is popular
in the Lunigiana, dances often being held outside bar/restaurants
during local festas.
The
Tresconeto is a fast dance in 6/8 time with origins in the Lunigiana.
It resembles the Saltarello, is undertaken either by a solitary dancer
or a couple, and is performed especially on the first Sunday in Lent.
The continually increasing tempo of the dance is meant to test the
endurance of the dancers.
Costume
Traditional early 20th century everyday wear for country dwellers was
as follows:
Women: Plain,
belted mid-length dress with quarter to three quarter sleeves. Often
with V-neck. Girls had hem lines just above the knee. Hats not usually
worn. Substantial leather shoes. Knitted wool socks/stockings in winter.
Men: Plain or
checked long sleeved shirts and plain work trousers held up by leather
belts. Hats worn in summer - fair hair and baldness common. Footwear -
clogs a regular sight.
Clothing for special occasions was colourful, eccentric and often
highly embroidered.
Folk Tales
There was once a strong oral tradition in the Lunigiana but
depopulation/migration since WWII coupled with a general lack of
interest has meant that many of the stories have been lost. A small
selection of those recorded in writing is given below:
The Lunigiana is mentioned in one of Giovanni Boccaccio's
tales. This can be found in the Decameron (Novel 2,6) which
was written between 1349 & 1351.
Nursery Rhymes
There are a number of nursey rhymes associated with the Lunigiana.
Translation is problematic - the use of dialect is common, words are
foreshortened and there are substantial nonsense elements.
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Tandarandan
Dancer in flight
Group of dancers
Folk Tales &
Nursery Rhymes
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