Twenty-nine years of music without geographical, temporal and genre boundaries; music to unite cultures, people and territories: this is the essence of the Mundus Festival curated by ATER Fondazione, and which has been among one of the most interesting and eagerly awaited proposals of the Emilian summer for almost three decades, and which this year – for the first time – makes an incursion into Romagna, to Lugo.
With the aim of making different cultures known through musical language, the event is a showcase on the world from a musical point of view, expressed in all its expressions: in each edition very different traditions and genres alternate, with the aim to always track down innovative and original projects.
From 2 July to 1 August, in prestigious squares, cloisters and courtyards, the Festival will host a total of 16 concerts curated by the ATER Foundation in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Region and the municipal administrations of Carpi (Mo), Casalgrande (Re ), Correggio (Re), Lugo (Ra), Reggio Emilia and Scandiano (Re). In recent years, over 3,000 artists have performed in the splendid settings of the Festival – including individuals and groups from all over the world – for a total of over 800 concerts.
THE 2024 EDITION
As usual, also for this edition, Mundus offers a wide-ranging artistic proposal, from the best local jazz to the most fascinating and engaging international world music, from homages to great author music to “cross-breed” projects. The latter is the case, for example, of Murubutu’s rap which meets Jazz for the first time, of Cape Verdean Carmen Souza who combines Creole sounds with jazz, of Javier Girotto’s sax which merges with the tango of Aires Tango in the thirty-year anniversary of their artistic partnership, or again, of the young singer-songwriter Flo who intertwines jazz with the migrant music of the South of the world. There will be no shortage of homages to the great music of the author but always in a new key: the title of the concert by Cristina Donà and Saverio Lanza is emblematic, Spirits guide, a reinterpretation that draws from Battisti to the Bee Gees, from De Gregori to Bjork. On the bill there are two tributes to Fabrizio D’André, one by the pianist Danilo Rea, the other by Mauro Pagani forty years after the album co-written, Crêuza de Mä; while the new project by Paola Turci and Gino Castaldo will review – with words and music – the sacred monsters of Italian music such as Lucio Dalla, Pino Daniele, Franco Battiato and many others. We will also find the union of music and words in the storytelling in which the unmistakable voice of Ginevra Di Marco meets the poems of Franco Arminio.
International artists will make a welcome return to Mundus: the hypnotic rhythms of Bombino, a Nigerian musician of Tuareg ethnicity considered the star of desert blues, are highly anticipated; the pulsating rhythm and virtuosity of the Indian drummer Trilok Gurtu will leave another indelible memory in the audience; while the Cuban cellist and singer Ana Carla Maza – much appreciated in the last solo edition – will take us with her ensemble to Latin America. A new landing in Mundus for Manou Gallo, Ivorian singer and bassist who will take us on a rhythmic journey to the black continent.
There will be no shortage of cornerstones of local jazz, such as Fabrizio Bosso’s trumpet meeting Daniele Sorrentino’s double bass and Lorenzo Tucci’s drums; and the voice of Peppe Servillo which joins the guitar of Cristiano Califano. A very rich programme, an exciting journey around the world and music in all its meanings.
The program
MUNDUS IN REGGIO EMILIA AND THE PROVINCE
The 29th edition of Mundus opens in Reggio Emilia, five events are scheduled for this edition of Mundus in the splendid setting of the Cloisters of San Pietro.
On 2 July the event opens with the didactic rap of Murubutu from Reggio who brings to the stage a new project, namely the revisitation of his repertoire in a jazz key accompanied – for the first time – by the Moon Jazz Band.
We continue on July 8th with a new guest of Mundus, Manou Gallo, Ivorian singer and bassist who together with his ensemble will perform on a rhythmic journey in the black continent between Nigerian Afro-beat, Zairean rumba, African salsa, reviewing the great names in music who inspired her, such as Fela Kuti.
On July 15th, the world jazz sounds of the Portuguese singer from Cape Verde, Carmen Souza, will be on stage and, together with her faithful musicians, she will present her latest project Interconnectedness. Jazz, Creole rhythms, modern soul, sensuality and liveliness come together to make her music, as always, deeply enchanting.
On July 22nd it will be impossible to resist the pulsating rhythm of the percussion of the Indian drummer Trilok Gurtu with his band, an artist who has bewitched audiences all over the world, esteemed and appreciated by international musicians with whom he regularly collaborates. Virtuosity and spirituality coexist in a musician who was able to synthesize East and West.
The appointments at the Cloisters end on July 29th with the extraordinary Bombino presenting his new album Sahel. Nigerian Tuareg musician is inspired by the popular music of his land and by some rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix, his passion for blues rock and the electric guitar combined with the typical sounds of sub-Saharan Africa create a personal and unmistakable style .
In Casalgrande, in the province of Reggio Emilia, there will be three events in collaboration with Casalgrande Jazz Festival and they will be held in the historic setting of Mundus, the elegant Stables of Villa Spalletti in San Donnino di Liguria.
Three evenings of jazz: starting on July 9th with Flo’s concert: ANDA. Songs of escape and wonder, the singer will be joined by Enrico Zanisi on piano, Joe Rehmer on double bass
and Alessandro Paternesi on drums in a concert in which jazz is intertwined with migrant music from the South of the world and songwriting. July 10th is the turn of a highly renowned formation: Javier Girotto & Aires Tango celebrate their thirty-year artistic partnership, the typical expressiveness of jazz meets tango to enter new musical terrain that has conquered audiences all over the world. Closing evening with one of the most recognized and esteemed pianists of Italian jazz: on 11 July Danilo Rea offers his personal homage to Fabrizio De André, a unique interpretation for solo piano, among the most original, but faithful to the precious legacy of the Genoese singer-songwriter.
Mundus returns to Scandiano, again this year in Piazza Fiume, with three very different concerts. On July 18th the square will be the setting for the mix of music and words of È stato un tempo il mondo in which Ginevra Di Marco merges her interpretative universe with the poems of Franco Arminio, creating a new show. The following appointment, on July 23, sees the Cuban singer and virtuoso cellist Ana Carla Maza on stage who, together with her quartet, will take us on a journey to Latin America in which samba, bossa nova, tango and son cubano are combined with the technique classic. To close the event, the Drumpet concert is on the bill on August 1st: Fabrizio Bosso’s trumpet and Lorenzo Tucci’s drums, combined with Daniele Sorrentino’s double bass, will review original songs, jazz tradition, improvisation, R&B with the technique impeccable that distinguishes these great artists.
Finally, there are two Mundus concerts in Correggio, in the suggestive courtyard of the Palazzo dei Principi. On July 17th the new project by Cristina Donà and Saverio Lanza will be on stage: Spiriti Guida, a journey where their songs are combined with the work of those artists who have influenced their path, among these: Battisti, the Bee Gees, the Beatles, Bjork and many others. On July 31, the esteemed singer and actor Peppe Servillo reads a story from Il resto della week, a text by Maurizio de Giovanni accompanied by Cristiano Califano on guitar for the performance of some…sports songs.
MUNDUS IN LUGO
For the first time in almost thirty years of history the event arrives in Romagna, and more precisely at the Chiostro del Carmine in Lugo (RA), where on 4 July the world jazz sounds of the Portuguese singer from Cape Verde Carmen Souza will resonate, accompanied by his faithful musicians will present his latest project Interconnectedness. Jazz, Creole rhythms, modern soul, sensuality and liveliness come together to make her music, as always, deeply enchanting.
MUNDUS IN CARPI
For this edition of Mundus, two events are planned in the magnificent setting of Piazzale Re Astolfo in Carpi, both in the name of great author’s music. It starts on July 4th with Mauro Pagani, forty years after the publication of the album Crêuza de Mä written with Fabrizio De André. Pagani will be accompanied by six musicians, a backing vocalist and a backing vocalist to re-propose the enveloping timeless and spaceless sounds narrated in the historic album. On July 24th a completely new project will take place, Il tempo dei giganti: the three magical years of songwriting 1979-1981 will be told and sung by Paola Turci and Gino Castaldo, she, singer-songwriter and musician, he, a music critic, together they will make homage with words and music to the sacred monsters of Italian music such as Lucio Dalla, Pino Daniele, Franco Battiato and many others.
