Rhythm is the Cure

Final performance by the participants in the free workshop
Rhythm Is the Cure
Hands-On Tambourine & Frame Drum Workshop

Taught by Internationally renowned singer and percussionist
Alessandra Belloni
REMO Signature Series Artist

Based on her book & DVD Rhythm is the Cure with Mel Bay Publications

The workshop takes place at Casa Italiana on:
Wednesday, February 13, 6pm
Thursday, February 14, 6:30pm
Friday, February 15, 6pm
Wednesday, February 20, 6pm

To enroll in this free workshop, please click here.

Alessandra Belloni is the only woman in America (and in Italy) who uses this powerful tambourine style combined with singing and dancing, and she’s very proud to be able to bring this ancient healing-women tradition back to life. She’s also a REMO Artist, with her own line of signature series tambourines made by REMO.

The purpose of this workshop is to introduce general audiences to a very rich tambourine and folk dance culture with an active current performance practice in Southern Italy.

During the percussion workshop, the participants will learn:

* The basic technique of holding the drum, with emphasis on arm movement, wrist and elbow technique, which requires a lot of strength, to create the bouncing sound of the triplets.

* Hand technique with the palm and the fingertips in both a basic and accented fast 6/8 rhythm.

* Tammorriata: a 4/4 rhythm played on the large drum called the Tammorra, originally from Naples with a strong African influence in the rhythm.

* Tarantella alla Montemaranese: a carnival dance from Montemarano (Naples) played on the smaller tambourines with a very unusual syncopation in 6/8. This Carnival rite dates back to the Roman celebrations in honor of Bacchus, the god of wine.

* Rhythm of San Rocco: a healing trance 6/8 rhythm from Calabria in honor of San Rocco, dating back to the Middle Ages to dispel the fear of death from the plague.

* Pizzica Tarantata: a very fast 6/8 rhythm from Puglia, with different accents – which originated as music therapy to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula. This wild rhythm was played mainly by women on medium-sized tambourines with a double row of jingles as they frantically danced for days during the Summer Solstice.