Festa della Tammorra

The Panorama, the base newspaper, listed the Festa della Tammorra as a local festival this weekend.  Since we knew we would be in the area this weekend, we thought it sounded like fun.  There was no time listed on the flyer.  I even looked on-line.  The festival was Saturday and Sunday.  The website side there was local crafts as well as music.  So we planned to go on Sunday afternoon.  I was facebooking with a friend and we decided to go to the festival together.  We drove to the next town at about 11 AM.  We saw signs for the festival but they were pointing up a street that was gated at the top.  We were a bit confused but decided to go back and park in the piazza and walk towards the signs.  Well we followed the signs up the road to this walled area and noticed a large gate open on the right.  We walked in and saw many woman slicing melanzana  (eggplant).  They all stared at us as we entered.  A man approached us and in broken English, he told us the festival was in the afternoon.  We laughed that we were early, but the Italians were quick to make us feel welcomed.  They asked if the children wanted to see the goose.  So they led us through the kitchen that said private, out the back door to the goose pen.  They opened the gate and let the kids enter the pen.  It was so funny.  They were talking and we had no idea what most of the people were saying.  The one man in the red shirt told us this was the festival of the tambourine.  He told us it was traditional music with dance.  He told us to come back in the afternoon, around 6 PM.  We laughed we were 7 hours early.  I told him, we read about it in the paper but it did not mention a time.  He quickly went over to the PR lady and told her that we were early because there was no time.  She admitted there was no time, I guess all Italians know when festas start.  We met another Italian who worked at the JFC in Naples.  He spoke English as well.  So they gave us a tour of this country house.  The group took us to the oven that was heating up to cook the bread.  One of the men even told us that he likes to cook his chicken in it.  It was so much fun.  The Italians were so generous to us even though we were too early.  They showed us the garden and then made us some café.  We probably learned more about this festa because we were early and they were all trying to make us feel welcome.  They then offered us some of their wine.  It was really yummy.  Then they went and found some musicians.  We had a man playing the accordion and another playing the tambourine.  Then one of the men sang.  The Italians then got some women to come and show us the traditional dance.  We had our own private showing.  It was really neat.  The kids starting dancing around, as the musicians played.  As the woman dance, they used castanets.  When they were finished, the man who spoke the best English told us about the castanets.  Who knew there was a female and a male castanet?  The male is on the left and the female is on the right.  He said this is how it is in Latin and most Roman things when it comes to male and female.  Then he let us all try them out.  I got scolded because I started using it like Spanish castanets and using my thumb.  Italians use their middle and ring fingers with their whole hand and wrist.  It was a wonderful learning experience.  We all agreed that if we had been on time, we would have missed out on all this valuable information.  The man who worked at the JFC told Howard they had wanted the Navy band to come and play.  So now Howard has to ask the Navy band to come and play with them in the future.  They took his name and number so he is on the hook to at least ask.  They just like music and wanted to preserve the ways of the past and share it with other musicians.  If we didn’t have school tomorrow, we would have come back this evening like they wanted.  We were just afraid that if we went we would never be able to leave and get the kid up for school in the morning. On the way out, we were given festival posters and a bootleg copy ( their term) of their music.  I believe they were selling it tonight, but for us, the crazy Americans who showed up early, we got it for free.  It could have easily been a busted trip, but it turned out to be such a fun experience!  

  *Warning*

Delaney took this video, it is a bit jumpy!

Oops!  I forgot to mention they also let off fireworks for us!