Popstar LP, the Italian-American singer and song-writer Laura Pergolozzi, will be the guest star of the closing concert of the 21st Notte della Taranta music festival, Europe's largest traditional music event, to be held on August 25 in Melpignano, near Lecce.
The announcement was made at a press conference in Lecce at
the headquarters of lender Banco di Napoli after 16 dancers from
the corps de ballet of La Notte della Taranta surprised the
public in Piazza Sant'Oronzo with an impromptu performance.
The presentation was attended by, among others, regional
tourism councilor, Loredana Capone and the president of the
Foundation La Notte della Taranta, Massimo Manera.
The regional director for southern Italy of bank Intesa
Sanpaolo, Francesco Guido, was also present with Lecce Mayor
Carlo Salvemini, the director of the pediatric onco-hematology
department of the Fazzi Hospital, Assunta Tornesello, and the
president of the non-profit group "Per un sorriso in più" (for
one more smile), Antonio Giammaruto.
LP is a leading pop-rock singer and song-writer.
Her hit 'Lost on You' made her into one of last year's
biggest rock acts with 100 million followers, topping the charts
worldwide.
The song-writer announced her participation with a video
message.
In the video, the artist sang Kalinifta, the song that each
year closes the music festival dedicated to the local 'pizzica'
music.
The artist, who has been likened to Bob Dylan and David
Bowie, will sing songs from the traditional music of Salento
with the Orchestra Popolare directed by Andrea Mirò with a
choreography by Massimiliano Volpini.
Artists Clementino, Enzo Gragnaniello, James Senese, Yilian
Canizares, Dhoad Gypsy, Frank Nemola, Davide "Billa" Brambilla,
Mino De Santis will also perform.
The event will be broadcast live by RAI 5 and Radio 1 RAI.
The 21st edition of La Notte della Taranta on August 2-25
will include 100 hours of live shows with a total of 360
musicians performing in 40 concerts.
Additional events have been organized by Intesa Sanpaolo and
Banco di Napoli, the main sponsors of the initiative, along with
a fundraiser promoted by Intesa Sanpaolo for the onco-hematology
pediatric ward of the Vito Fazzi Hospital in Lecce, together
with volunteers for association 'Un sorriso in più'.
The fundraiser is organized to support the project
"Accorciamo le distanze" (Let's make distances shorter),
inaugurated and funded by the organization last year, to provide
the hospital with a system to transmit high-resolution data to
medical centers worldwide for a better evaluation of complex
clinical cases.
The initiative, said councilor Capone, is a "virtuous model
of collaboration between public and private" partners to promote
the local "beauty and culture and to create development and
concrete actions of solidarity".
The partnership with Intesa Sanpaolo has enabled the
organization of additional concerts and photo exhibits to be
held at the bank's branches in the Salento area on August 2-25.
"We want to create an ethical model of sponsorship that, by
using a symbol of huge cultural value like that of La Notte
della Taranta, generates concrete and effective solidarity",
said Francesco Guido, the regional director for the south of
Intesa Sanpaolo and director general of Banco di Napoli.
Intesa Sanpaolo is promoting the area's heritage and the
former convent of the Agostiniani in Melpignano, a symbol of the
festival's closing event, has been included among the sites of
national census "I Luoghi del Cuore" (the places of the heart)
promoted by Italian Environmental Fund (FAI) in cooperation with
the bank.
The initiative enables Italians to vote for a place they
would like to safeguard
This will give the former convent a chance of using funding
for a renovation, if it is among the most voted sites.
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