I should apologise in advance for my lack of understanding about everything that went on , but this is what I got out of the evening.
It is always a pleasure to go to casa elizia because its beautiful.
I have been enjoying the last few Thursday evenings learning a little bit about local culture along with a group of children.
Tonight Guiseppe was talking ( this is what I understood!) firstly about the possible costumes that the children could wear for carnevale and about how they were a bit scary. He talked a lot about brigantes and and a lady brigandessa who looked like you wouldn't want to mess with her. She was armed with a knife, a pistol and a rifle- or it might have been a shotgun. I am fairly sure she was local as I had read somewhere about a female brigand from Pisticci. There were some actual photographs of some brigands so this was not so long ago......
I nearly forgot though that the first character he talked about was a "cucchibocca" ( I have spelled this phonetically ) This was a creepy sort of character with glasses and a hat and long hair covering its face. It had a vague resemblance to some weird hairy musicians whose name I have forgotten- or never knew. I made a quick sketch on the back of a card.
There were several other characters including a nasty looking one with goat's horns who you would not want to meet on a dark night or any other time.
There was also a princess from normandy who looked very pretty and not at all scary. The girls seemed divided between dressing as a princess or a brigandessa.
Having got the costumes decided on , before everyone - but not me- got round to the exciting event of the evening- making a kupa kupe, we all sang this long traditional song which I understood not a word but it was so infectious it was impossible not to join in. It was brilliant.
Then it was time to make the kupa kupe's and I want to make one some time. The children had brought a variety of containers from paint pots to plastic bottles . To make one of these traditional musical instruments you need a container, some material, a bit of string, and a cane.
The idea , if I understood correctly is to pass on to the children the culture and stories of Pisticci so that they are not lost. I am just so grateful to Guiseppe for inviting me to join this. It is adding so much to my experience of Pisticci.
And its been so much fun.......
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| the first kupa kupe is made and played |
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| making traditional instruments |
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| discovered new setting on my camera phone - on my way home |
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| view of the chiesa madre - on way home |
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| cute corner - on way home |
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| home |
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