The first and only national festival of its kind where sounds, traditions, and dialects from all over Calabria, and beyond, come together in memory of Otello Profazio. The National Festival of Cantastorie, now in its fourth edition, will enliven the historic center of Catanzaro on Friday, June 13 and Saturday, June 14, strictly with free admission. The San Giovanni Monumental Complex is the heart of the initiative, which aims to promote the historical identity of the places and the beauty of popular traditions. A journey of music and folklore bearing the signature of Francesca Prestia, defined by Profazio himself as his “successor,” who, with commitment and passion, wanted to create a project that could enhance Catanzaro, crossing local borders. A fourth edition—promoted with the participation of the Municipality of Catanzaro and the support of the Calabria Region within the framework of the cultural activities notice—that pays tribute to the figure of Otello Profazio, who passed away two years ago, as the first official tribute dedicated to him in Calabria, rediscovering his fundamental contribution in telling and enhancing, through songs, Calabrian popular culture throughout the world.
The inauguration tomorrow, Friday, June 13, at 5:30 pm, will focus on the photographic and documentary exhibition “Thank you, dearest Otello!” curated by Gian Paolo Borghi, a well-known scholar of popular traditions and ethnologist. This will be followed, at 6:00 pm, by a cultural in-depth session on the occasion of the National Conference of Cantastorie, with interventions by Tiziana Oppizzi and Claudio Piccoli from the cultural association “Il cantastorie on line,” Giuseppe Tripodi, writer and friend of the artist Profazio, Massimo De Pascale, author of the book “Otello Profazio.” In conclusion, there will be a musical performance by the well-known Sicilian cantastorie Mauro Geraci, who will talk about his memories linked to Profazio through ballads inspired by the myth of Orlando, at the center of the album “I paladini di Francia.”
Saturday, June 14, at 9:30 pm, the event will culminate with the concert, an original production of the Festival, which will see for the first time the cantastorie representatives from all over Calabria—Rocco Jenco, Nino Racco, Biagio Accardi, Nando Brusco, Fulvio Cama—come together to remember Otello Profazio, through a personal reinterpretation of his most famous songs, including “Il brigante Musolino,” “La baronessa di Carini,” “Donna Candia,” “Amuri,” “Qua si campa d'aria.”
Cuore Cantastorie has also wanted to involve all visitors in an interactive game—available at the link https://app.cuorecantastorie.it/ —which offers a route through the historic center to discover stories and memories of Catanzaro. A guided itinerary, through the streets and places in the heart of the city, that participants can follow by scanning with their smartphones a series of QR codes, posted near points of interest, through which they can answer questions to win a tasty prize.