Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Italy)

Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (CGS) hails from Salento, the southern end of Italy's Apulia region, and is Italy’s longest-standing traditional music ensemble – celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2025! The ensemble of musicians and dancers was founded in 1975 by writer Rina Durante. For many years its artistic director was Daniele Durante, musical assistant to Einaudi, Maestro Concertatore of the festival La Notte della Taranta. In 2007, however, his son, violinist and drummer Mauro succeeded him at the helm of the ensemble.

Today, the Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino is made up of six musicians and a dancer whose shows provide a rousing, almost surreal experience. Harmonious voices overlap with the exciting tambourine rhythms and the magical sounds of the violin, Italian bagpipes and diatonic accordion. With an infectious energy that brings the audiences to their feet, the band play a frenzied version of the ancient folk dance pizzica tarantata, thus reviving age-old customs. 

CGS have released 18 albums and toured the US, Canada, Europe and the Middle East. Their varied list of collaborators includes global artists, such as Ballaké Sissoko, Ibrahim Maalouf, Piers Faccini, composer Ludovico Einaudi and drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police.

“Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino was a whirlwind”, wrote The New York Times when they sold out their Webster Hall concert at the 2012 Globalfest. 
 

Within the programming of Puglia Sounds