|
My name is Guido Iannetta. I am 35 years old, have a wife, two children
and a zampogna. I work as a forest ranger in the National Park of the
Abruzzi in Italy. This is a beautiful place with forests that are still the
habitat of bears, mountain goats, deer and eagles. I have a great job, and
that is to protect these marvels of nature. I live in Scapoli, in the
province of Isernia, in the state of Molise, known as the world capital of
the zampogna. I count myself amongst the most dedicated of the zampognari,
who are the musicians who dedicate their talents to this, the Italian
double-chantered bagpipe. In fact, I also build the piffero, which is a
shawm, and the zampogna. The two instruments are traditionally played together.
I have taken the zampogna to many other parts of the world, such as Tokyo,
Jerusalem, Basil, and in the last two years I have performed in Chicago and
other smaller cities in the U.S. This has been a beautiful experience for
me. I was responsible for starting the now-famous folk group "Le Mainarde."
The Molisan Zampogna is used primarily during the Christmas season, in which
it is traditional for us to announce the birth of Jesus, and to wish one and
all a happy new year. In the presence of the music of the zampogna, in a
moment people form friendships that last a lifetime. We feel that we
complete an ambiance that motivates people towards more openness and
generosity toward their fellow man. There is something in the hearts of
those who await the zampognari every year that always offers the gift of
friendship, with a "buon giorno, come va, auguri e tanta felicita."
To whomever wishes to contact me, whether to come as a friend to visit
the Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, or who wishes to hear some of our
traditional music or even to buy one of the instruments it is played on, you
can reach me by mail at: Iannetta Guido, via Ponte 7, 86070. Scapoli,
Isernia, Italy. If you can speak some Italian (I don't speak English), call
me at 0865-95-45-15.
|
