Goodbye dad. With these simple words on a post, his daughter Patrizia announced the passing of Lillo Alessandro.
Beloved figure, Lillo Alessandro represented much more than a simple showman for Messina: he was a tireless guardian of popular traditions, one of the few able to bring the past and present into dialogue through music, singing and memory. Born and raised in the shadow of the Peloritani, he dedicated his entire life to safeguarding the Sicilian folk heritage, transforming a youthful passion into a cultural mission that has spanned decades.
Leading the Peloritani singersa historic group of the city’s folklore, Alessandro brought the most authentic face of Sicily around Italy and the world. He did not limit himself to re-proposing ancient melodies: he researched them, transcribed them, studied them with almost ethnographic rigor, convinced that every song, every dance, every traditional dress was a precious fragment of collective history. His voice and his stage presence, warm and unmistakable, have contributed to making the group an international point of reference.
His commitment led him for a long time to the national presidency of the Italian Federation of Popular Traditions, a role from which he promoted cultural exchanges, festivals and events capable of giving dignity and visibility to Italian popular roots in a historical moment in which they risked being set aside. At the same time, he recounted the culture of the area in books, research, original compositions, always with a respectful but lively approach, capable of restoring the rhythm and color of the most genuine Sicily.