Tarantism from Duende by Joe Chindamo
Tarantism means 'the urge to cure melancholy by dancing'. One of the sweetest memories of my childhood, is the image of my father dancing the Tarantella.
In retrospect, the excited feet, shaking dangling hands, elated body and ecstatic smile, remind me of a controlled electric shock or choreographed fit. And a group of grown men performing the dance at Italian weddings, provided a spectacle of sheer delight for us, the children who looked on in awe, bewilderment and with slight envy.
I used to play three Tarantelle on the accordion; the Neapolitan, Calabrian and Sicilian, all as distinct from each other as Spaghetti Carbona, Bolognaise and Marinara. Tarantism is a cross- breed, a kind of mongrel. In some ways, it resembles Italian opera more than the peasant folk dance to which its title alludes andrhythm suggests - Rossini’s Figaro comes to mind.
In the same way that Bartok utilized the folk music of his native land, I thought it a good idea to do the same with the folk music of my ancestors. I could be accused of dressing the Tarantella in a tux, adding a little Bach, along with a few 20th century harmonies and placing it on the concert hall stage.
Joe Chindamo is a man in a league with the best jazz pianists and composers of the world. An apt composer, arranger and improviser allows Joe to create a style of music across a wide range of musical genres.