Great success for the 53rd edition of the folklore Gala underway in Piazza Unione Europea. To organize it the Canterini Peloritani, led by Lillo Alexander with the intervention of the Regional Tourism Department, the patronage of the Municipality – Department of Popular Traditions and the collaboration of the Italian Federation of Popular Traditions, the International Union of Federations of European and Extra-European Folkloric Groups (IGF), Iov-Unesco of Vienna . The demonstration was attended by two groups made up of Ukrainian teenagers. Specifically, the folk groups from Chile (“Agrupaciòn cultural take manu”), from Romania (“Ansamblul folcloric “Magureanul”), from Mexico (“Ballet Folklorico Yohuala Pakilixtli Iguala”) took part in the event, as well as the Canterini Peloritani .
The historic group from Messina was founded in 1935 (in two years, therefore, it will celebrate its ninetieth birthday), was born as a center of study and research on Folklore and soon became a point of reference in Sicily, and then all over the world. As has been written by experts in the sector, for repertoire and harmony, collective and individual qualities, it can undoubtedly be defined as one of the best existing groups in the genre. Since 1958 it has been led by Lillo Alessandro, a tireless cultural operator, singer, author, poet and organizer of international events.
Just scroll through the list of musical groups hosted in Messina, and in other localities of the province and the region, on the occasion of the Gala, in the previous 52 editions, to really understand how the whole world passed through the Strait. From the United States of America to Africa, from South America to Asia, from Oceania to Europe, the Canterini Peloritani have represented the symbol of “Messinaity” and, at the same time, the other countries were able to make the Sicilian public aware of the richness of their traditional songs and dances. The Canterini Peloritani have also performed in front of popes, rulers and heads of state and, everywhere, they have brought a charge of adrenaline and sympathy. Behind their songs, and their performances, there is an accurate study of popular traditions, based on the texts of Pitrè, Salomone-Marino, Vico, Rigoli and Favara but also on a series of field researches, in the countless trips carried out by the group and by the president of the study centre. Since 1960 the Canterini have had official recognition from the University of Messina precisely for their role as “ambassadors of tradition”, since 1971 the group has been part of the Italian Federation of Popular Traditions. Lillo Alessandro, in addition to promoting the International Folklore Gala for 53 years, also organizes the prestigious International Award named after one of the myths of Messina, that of Colapesce.
