Date: 21 May 2025 (Wednesday)
Time: 8pm
Venue: Shouson Theatre, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wan Chai
Click here to get your tickets.
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The concert Marisciu – Danza Del Meriggio (Dance of the Midday) by the group Migala is the first event of the original project by the Italian Cultural Institute of Hong Kong, FOLKever – Italian Music Roots In Motion, aimed at promoting Italian folk music in Hong Kong.
The performance evokes the suspended atmosphere of the controra, that magical moment when the scorching midday sun seems to stop time, wrapping the earth in an embrace of light and shadow, rest and dream. The music awakens the latent energy of this moment, transforming its slowness and abandon into a vibrant, hypnotic rhythm that invites one to dance.
The group Migala was formed in 2008. The name is a tribute to Giuseppe Mighali, known as Pino Zimba, a symbol of the revival of popular music culture in Salento. “Migala” is also the ancient name of the tarantula, a predominant symbol in the popular Italian music culture of recent years, in which a new folk revival has been reaffirmed. The group is known for blending and fusing stylistic choices that aim to reinterpret elements of the oral musical tradition from central and southern Italy through a World Music lens. Their repertoire includes both traditional songs and original compositions inspired not only by southern Italy’s folk music but also by Mediterranean, Balkan, and Latin sounds. Migala’s original pieces have greatly benefited from the contribution of Pasqualino Ubaldini, a composer and arranger of fervent creativity, specializing in jazz, ethno-jazz, and world music, and known for his work with guitar, bouzouki, oud, mandolin, and Portuguese guitar.
Members of Migala:
Davide Roberto – percussion and vocals
Massimiliano Felice – diatonic accordion and guitar
Gaetano Maisto – guitar and mandolin
Elena Masullo – vocals
The Project: FOLKever – Italian Music Roots in Motion
Italian folk music is a journey into the deepest, most authentic parts of our country. It is the vibrant soul of our communities, an echo that tells stories of hopes, struggles, and collective dreams. Every note, every rhythm is a fragment of a world that lives in the voices of the people, in town squares, in the fields, and on the streets. It is the living testimony of a land and of how its people face life and its challenges. Each song is an act of affirming identity, resisting and renewing itself through the centuries, drawing strength from its roots and essence to evolve without ever losing its authenticity. As Italian composer and musicologist Roberto De Simone says, “It is through their music that people tell their story, remember themselves, and affirm their uniqueness, as well as their connection to others.”
Italy’s musical tradition is a heritage not confined to the past, but a living form of expression passed down through generations—like a thread connecting past and present, capable of reinventing itself without betraying its origins.
In the contemporary landscape, Italian folk music plays a crucial role not only as a historical memory but also as a bridge between the past and the future. It is not a music to be stored away in a distant corner of tradition, but a treasure to be renewed and reinterpreted.
With the goal of sharing this rich heritage with the Hong Kong audience, the Italian Cultural Institute presents the project FOLKever – Italian Music Roots in Motion, featuring a program of activities that celebrates the extraordinary variety of Italian folk music. The project includes a series of events showcasing the musical traditions of different regions, offering a vibrant mosaic of sounds that represent the cultural fabric of Italy.