Il Blues in Town festival di Policoro torna a casa con un bel bottino di premi dal quarto congresso italiano “Festival of Festivals” organizzato a Bologna nei giorni 10 e 11 novembre scorsi.

Tre i riconoscimenti assegnati alla nota e prestigiosa kermesse musicale organizzata dall'Associazione Culturale “La Mela di Odessa”, giunta quest’anno ala sua ottava edizione: "Best Sponsorship/Partnership"; la menzione speciale "Best Territory Improvement”; e l’inserimento tra i cinque finalisti nella categoria “Best Promo Award” realizzato in collaborazione con JackVision Production.

La manifestazione bolognese, dedicata ai maggiori operatori culturali italiani, ha conferito il premio dedicato alla migliore partnership per la proficua collaborazione che il Blues in Town di Policoro ha consolidato nel corso degli anni con l'AVIS – Associazione volontari italiani sangue, rafforzata nell’edizione 2011 in relazione all'Anno Europeo del Volontariato.

La Menzione speciale "Best Territory Improvement" ha premiato la capacità dimostrata dal festival policorese di saper essere attrattore culturale determinante per Enti, Istituzioni e Operatori turistici nella programmazione e per lo sviluppo del territorio nel settore economico-turistico oltre che in quello cultural-musicale. Obiettivo raggiunto grazie alla capacità del BiT di saper unire momenti di intrattenimento  a percorsi formativi – seminari musicali gratuiti – iniziative di valorizzazione del settore agroalimentare con la realizzazione di aree di degustazione e commercializzazione di prodotti tipici. Il "Best Territory Improvment" è stato assegnato, anche e sopratutto, per l’eccellente capacità di promozione e valorizzazione del territorio su media nazionali.

Il Festival of Festivals Awards di Bologna, luogo degli Oscar dei festival italiani, nel premiare la cultura italiana per il 2011, ha poi assegnato, nella categoria “Le Regioni dei Festival”, la menzione speciale alla Regione Basilicata (che concorreva tra 180 candidature e 18 regioni partecipanti) per il network BasilicataCinema. Riconoscimento attribuito “per la capacità di collaborazione fra la Regione Basilicata, il Mibac e gli operatori festivalieri del territorio che hanno deciso di unirsi in un unico progetto condiviso per rendere fruibile al pubblico la settima arte, per la capacità di saper fare rete e di saper lavorare insieme”.
 

More than 14 hours of free music will be offered throughout the evening with the performances bz the main artists of Blues in Town. From tribute history bands to etnomusic/blues crossovers

All this is the Preview of Blues in Town

August 11th  

9,00 pm – Slow Drags – Matera

The Slow Drags were formed about two years ago with the intention to promote and spread Blues music in general and in particular that from the the Mississippi Delta.

The original project consisted of reproducing and reinterpreting all the blues classics from Robert Johnson to Muddy Waters, from Little Walter to Sonny Boy Williamson  as well as Willie Dixon and the more modern James Cotton , Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix etc. The repertoire of the Slow Drags includes the whole history of blues from the origins to today. The band (formed by musicians with more than 20 years experience) has taken part in a number of live events at various festivals in Italy and Europe and has also produced a demo in 2006. Their last European tour finished in Zurich on 30/11/2007. 

August 12th   

9 pm – Fabio Console e VentuNovu Project – Roma

The VentuNovu project was born out of the idea of combing the typical music of Southern Italy with rock – blues – country e funky. Fabio Console the founder of this artistic project had his debut on the independent music scene with his album “Liberi e Fuori”.

The new work  “Anima Kalabra” was developed on the road between Rome and London and benefits from the cooperation with other musicians from these two European metropolises. The group consists of Nicola Calvano, drums, Claudio Cretella,  bass,  Fedele Astorino, keyboards, Giovanni Console, sax, clarinette and flute, Rocco Capalbo, electric, acoustic and classic guitar, Carla Cauteruccio, vocals, Fabio Console, acoustic guitar, harmonica, violine and vocals. 

www.ventunovu.com - www.ambasciatacalabrese.it

August 13th

9 pm – Mr. No Money Blues Band – Bologna

"The Mister No Money Blues Band” was officially created in 2005 with the idea to play the more classic itineraries of blues.

The band has their foundations in standard interpretations (Elmore James, Muddy Waters and others) but also touches the elements of tradition in interesting and original compositions.

The heart of the MNM Blues Band is the singer and pianist Mister No Money, a rhythmic sensation ….. 

August 14th

9 pm – The Coverage Rock Blues – Matera

The Coverage Rock Blues birth , in 2009,is the result of  the members’ passion for blues sonority, ranging over  the classic blues and the rock of 60s and 70s.

They perform songs by the biggest musicians like Muddy Waters, The Doors, Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa, Skynyrd Lynyrd, Rolling Stones, Tina Turner and Janis Joplin.

The peculiarity of the band is the female voice, quite unusual in the blues gender but able to transmit a great emotional charge.

The Coverage Rock Bluesis composed by Damiana Lapacciana (voice), Domenico Cifarelli (guitar and chorus), Paolo Braia (bass guitar and chorus), Pino Grilli (drum and chorus), Cosimo Paolicelli (keyboard and chorus).

9,30 pm – Bestiario Blues – Roma

Born in 2010, The Bestiario Blues represents the fusion of three different groups who inherited the influences of classic blues, British Blues and Rithm & Blues.

Originally made up of 5, the band subsequently introduced a mouth organ and an amazing wind-section of 4.

They offer a historical tribute going from R.Johnson’s Mississipi Blues (1930-40), to John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waders, floating on the tones of the Rock Blues by B.B. King, approaching Eric Clapton and John Mayall (1970-80), until the unforgettable Otis Redding and the energic Rithm&Blues of Wilson Pickett and The Blues Brothers (1950-60).

The members of the band are: Max Mc Cane (voice), Mario Egidi (guitar), Federico Perfetti (bass guitar), Maurizio Di Donato (keyboard), Simone Di Donato (drums), Carlo Colangeli (trompet), Vito Ceccarelli (alto sax), Giuseppe Cerquetani (baritone sax), Federico Ardante (tenor sax), Pietro Torsani (mouth organ))

August 15th

9 pm – Overlook – Catanzaro

Coming from a passionate meeting of attitudes and styles, The Overlook began their career in 2010, one year after their foundation, thanks to the 1st album entitled “On the road” which was self-produced by the same band in their own recording studio.

They draw inspiration from several milestones as well as the Blues of Eric Clapton, Freddie King, ZZ Top or the refined style of Dire Straits and Pink Floyd.

As a matter of fact, in the background of the band, there are two projects which influenced their gender: “Crossroad” (old school blues with rock’n’roll tones) and “Eclipse” an homage to Pink Floyd. The mixture of the above mentioned inspiration sources gave origin to their album, which is characterized by strong but refined sounds.

The band is composed by Davide Ionà, (vocal & guitar) Marco Paparazzo (guitar and backing vocals) Francesco Silipo (piano, keyboards & Hammond), Nick Dardano (bass guitar) Giovanni Costa (drums).

The town, whose origins date back to the IV century B.C., belonged to the Della Marras, who built the castle in 1070.

It was dominated by the Carafas and the Spinellis afterwards. A building worth visiting is the mother church of Santa Maria Assunta.

The name comes from the Latin ‘Praedium Cerellianum’. It was a feud belonged to lords  the Della Marras and the barons Formica.

In the town, it is possible to admire the feudal palace built in 1593, with a tower with egg-shaped base which contains a clock placed on columns.

The town is situated on the characteristic landscape of the ‘calanchi’ (ravines), between the rivers Agri and Sauro.

At the entrance of the town there is the house of Carlo Levi, writer and painter, internee during the fascist period. He wrote his best-known book ‘Christ stopped at Eboli’ here.

Firtsly under the control of the Basilian monks of St. Elias Carbone and then under the rule of Pedro de Toledo, who erected the building commonly known as Baron Palazzaccio. Near the beach is a watchtower Aragonese, and another cylindrical tower is located in place "Terzo Madonna". 

In place Termitito are the remains of a settlement of Mycenaean age, then occupied by Greek colonists. Visiting the church of the Assumption and the fortified farmhouse of Recoleta. Scanzano is a seaside with beaches evolving very well attended and is visited every year by a considerable flow of tourists.

The territory of Scanzano was occupied at the first by Prince Ruggero Sanseverino, then by his son Antonio, and finally by Luca Sanseverino. In 1741 the estate was in possession of Scanzano Matthias Alexander Mirabile of Aragon and later sold to the Marquis of Colobraro Donnaperna.

In 1809, the municipality of Montalbano, claimed the civic uses on the lands of Scanzano, while the remainder was sold in several parcels in 1816 to Baron Gennaro Ferrara, thanks to the Bourbon government.

It is a peaceful and hospitable hilly center, always known as "The Balcony of the Ionian Sea." Rotondella, with its narrow streets dating back to the eighteenth century, still offers one of the most evocative views of the area.

Situated in a dominant position relative to the jonica plane, and the Calabrian coast, the small and cozy city center contains ancient buildings: from the church of S. Anthony from Padova, the only surviving part of the seventeenth-century Franciscan monastery built in the first half of'600, to old palaces. From Rotondella is easy to move to Monte Coppola whose top (falls in the territory of Valsinni) is reachable using paths made recently.

This is an area of enormous natural beauty and archaeological interest. Or it’s possible to go to the beach where during the summer operate resorts, different structures and the same City Hall has assigned a camping under its management.

Who can visit it, will be enchanted

The name of the town probably comes from ‘praedium Hostiliam’, land belonging to Tullus Hostilius, third king of Rome.

The town belonged to several noble families in the feudal period. Very interesting are the Baroque church of the Assunta.

Policoro is a city located in the Metaponto’s plane and it has developed since 1951, after land reform. Before that time, it depended from another little country, Montalbano Jonico and ex stronghold estate with baron Luigi Berlingieri. Policoro has, therefore a recent history, but its roots are very old and noble. It was the greek period, 2600 years behind, that gave rise to our origins. But in the same territory before Policoro were born Siris and Herakleia, two important cities of Main Greek. Herakleia’s colony, based on 434/433 a.C., took the name from Hercules, mythical hero of twelve toils and became the seat in 374 a.C. of “lega italiota”. In 280 a.C. Herakleia was involved in the war between Rome and Taranto. Near this area it developed the well-known battle between Pirro, Epirus’s king and Romans. (taken from Nicola Buccolo’s book “Policoro. Stella della Magna Grecia”).

Guardian of these ancient roots, is the Museo Archeologico Nazionale della Siritide located in Policoro. Dynamic city thanks its Metapontino coast that can ensure sea, nature, entertainment, excellent cuisine and the charm of the ancient villages still viable. The result of the recent history of the city of Policoro which this year celebrates its 50 years of municipal autonomy.

To discover how to visit and learn more about this lace, visit:

www.welcomelucania.it