Description
Rosa Balistreri, a symbol of Sicilian popular music, played a central role in the rediscovery of oral tradition during the Italian folk revival in the 1960s (Tomatis 2016). Her journey unfolds within a context of socio-economic transformations and migrations that influenced the redefinition of Mediterranean musical identity (Nitti 1900). Like Amália Rodrigues for Portuguese fado, Balistreri reinterpreted popular repertoire, transforming it into a means of political and social expression (Van Orden 2023).
Born in Licata in 1927, Balistreri personally experienced female marginalization and poverty, experiences that deeply shaped her singing. Her raw timbre breathed new life into traditional Sicilian songs, turning them into tools of social protest (Piedalue and Rishi 2017). Songs like A pinnula, whose central theme is the contraceptive pill, anticipate feminist issues, positioning Balistreri in contrast to the patriarchal society of her time.
Her collaboration with I Dischi del Sole and Fonit Cetra facilitated the spread of folk repertoire through new channels, also sparking a process of transformation that raises questions about authenticity and the dynamics of cultural hybridization (Carpitella 1958). Comparing her work to that of Amália Rodrigues reveals a shared process of rewriting collective memory, where female agency is manifested through singing as a tool for cultural and social change (Bhabha 1994; Albrecht 2020).
How does their musical legacy continue to influence contemporary practices? Can the folk revival be reconsidered in light of postcolonial theories on memory and cultural identity?
The analysis of these questions offers valuable insights for a debate among ethnomusicologists and musicologists, exploring the interactions between tradition and modernity in the Mediterranean.
| IMPORTANT | YES, I confirm I have read it. |
|---|
