La Notte della Taranta is the biggest festival in Italy and one of the most remarkable events in popular culture in Europe. The event takes place in an itinerant form between the various squares of Salento (South-East Apulia), starting from Corigliano d’Otranto and ending with the Melpignano concert. La Notte della Taranta is dedicated to the enhancement of traditional Salento music.
The Edition 2021 of Notte della Taranta
La Notte della Taranta blends the traditional music of Salento with other musical languages, including rock, jazz, symphonic music. It generally records the participation of over 150,000 spectators and hosts world-famous musicians.
In each edition, the final Concertone (big concert) is entrusted to a Maestro Concertatore (concertmaster), a musician who arranges and reinterprets the classics of the local musical tradition by using a group of thirty musicians from Salento and other guests from the national and international music scene.
In recent editions, many appreciated Italian singers held the role. Among them Carmen Consoli, Raphael Gualazzi and Andre Mirò.
For the 2021 edition, there is still no name for the concertmaster. La Notte della Taranta Foundation and the Academy of Fine Arts of Lecce will work together for an art project to be presented during the final concert, on the stage set up in the space in front of the former Augustinian convent.
