Gastone Pietrucci has dedicated his life for more than 50 years to knowing and making known the popular singing traditions of our lands.
A commitment made more of passion or more of study work? “They are both strong, but the scientific research work undoubtedly comes first, which gave me the opportunity to find material to save, so as not to completely lose a world that has now disappeared. An incredible world that I have recovered through the memory of others, people that I call singing trees, who opened doors and homes to me. I approached this wisdom with humility and respect, with fairness and love.”
He speaks with gratitude and admiration of those who allowed him to explore the rural world: “There are many things we don't know about in our countryside, a whole world of great women and great men. We should teach their cantatas and ditties in schools to children who know how to appreciate the authentic songs of our lands."
And do young people approach popular music? “Young people need authentic role models. The spark that generated in me curiosity and the desire to deepen my knowledge of the world of peasant traditions was triggered when, as a young man, I attended the show Bella Ciao in the early 60s in Spoleto. My commitment began from there, with the strong and true songs of Giovanna Marini and many others from the Nuovo Canzoniere Italiano. Even today, young people are approaching credible and authentic proposals. Some of those who attend our shows then decide to learn to play the accordion and other popular instruments. Today, however, youth is often confused and diverted by artificial, constructed models. The falsification of folk groups annoys and offends me, their costumes are false, artificial: in reality the peasants sang either in their work clothes or in their party clothes, which were austere, they never wore affected ribbons and colorful shirts. gaudy. Tradition is sweat and tears, sometimes joy, but never a false postcard.”
La Macina, the group founded by Gastone Pietrucci, has numerous albums and texts to its credit and the volume Cultura Popolare Marchigiana. Roberto Leydi, founder of scientific ethnomusicology, argued that if there had been a reality like La Macina in all regions, a very rich rural cultural heritage would not have been lost.
How does your commitment continue? “With La Macina we are present in the area with fixed events, the Pasquella, our Sanremo, the Scacciamarzo, the Passione, the Cantamaggio, the Folk Festival. And the research and documentation work of the Center for Popular Traditions continues, in addition to the various events that we organize or in which we are called, which are reported on our website."
A strong and sincere thank you to such a precious scholar for our land.
Carla Virili
