With their band project, the members of Menamenamò are following an exciting folkloric tradition; for over 30 years, these Italians have been exploring the musical legacy of local tarantella music, known as ›Pizzica‹ in south-eastern Salento. That this music has healing powers – especially when danced to – is the stuff of legend. Under the direction of band leader Luigi Mengoli, this group has now collected hundreds of songs and produced numerous recordings that document the musical treasure trove of Salento. More importantly however, the live recordings of Menamenamò – including at the spectacular concerts of the Italian ›La Notte della Taranta‹ with 100,000 spectators – are the absolute highlights.

In addition to various extensions to the traditional repertoire, for example with elements of jazz or electronic music, the band’s style is characterised in particular by polyphonic singing. At ›Sommer in Lesmona‹, Menamenamò performs with vocals, guitar, mandolin, clarinet and – most importantly – tambourine, which gives the music its typical hypnotic pizzica rhythm.

Luigi Mengoli lead vocals and guitar
Giusi Martino voice
Giacomo Casciaro vocals and mandola
Pascal Coppola clarinet
Carlo De Pascali tambourine

The conductor Giuseppe Mengoli has the »ability … to inspire through his musical language which speaks directly to the hearts of all«, says the Bamberg Symphoniker’s Chief Conductor Jakub Hrůša about his young Italian colleague. Mengoli’s successful performance in Bamberg in 2023 not only led to further collaboration with the orchestra, but also to an acclaimed concert with the Wiener Symphoniker at the Bregenz Festival. Last season, Giuseppe Mengoli also made his debut with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, the Opéra Marseille, the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the SWR Symphonie Orchester. Other highlights of the 2024/2025 season include debuts with Philzuid, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxemburg, the Dresdner Philharmonie and the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen.

This multi-instrumentalist made his conducting debut in 2018 with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra in Bad Schandau, where he also held the position of Leader. He has played tutti violin in orchestras such as the Konzerthaus Orchester and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Giuseppe Mengoli graduated with honours in violin and chamber music and has won prizes at several international competitions. He also studied percussion, piano, trumpet and jazz. In addition, he is a composer and arranger and is currently completing a master’s degree in orchestral conducting in Weimar.