Duša Naša Album

Album – 2019 (11 tracks, 39 minutes. 21 seconds)

01 - Kako je lipo hoditi (trad.)

‘Kako je lipo hoditi’ can be considered the hymn of the Croatian linguistic minority of Molise. It tells the story of the crossing that our ancestors made to reach our land, where they started a new life. This is the original version as it has always been sung and transmitted during the years.

Lyrics

How beautiful it is to stroll
across the sea.

And in the middle of the sea there is,
there’s a path.

And everyone who went there,
lost.

My boyfriend went,
and he won!

How beautiful is to stroll
across the sea.

Credits

Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional

Marco Blascetta: Bouzouki – Voice
Liza Szucsich: Voice

02 - Kako je lipo hoditi

Thanks to this song, you can immediately understand the work done by KroaTarantata on the fusion of cultures and genres: they merged the na-našo lyrics and the traditional melody to the rhythms of popular music typical of the feasts from southern Italy: “tarantella”, “saltarello” and “pizzica”.

Lyrics

How beautiful it is to stroll
across the sea.

And in the middle of the sea there is,
there’s a path.

And everyone who went there,
lost.

My boyfriend went,
and he won!

How beautiful is to stroll
across the sea.

Credits

Lyrics: Traditional
Music: KroaTarantata

Francesca Sammartino: Voice
Giulia Sammartino: Voice
Gianluca Miletti: Tambourine – Voice
Simone Sammartino: Bufù
David De Leo: Guitar
Martina Blascetta: Flute
Lorenzo Blascetta: Accordion – Voice
Stefano Blascetta: Bass
Marco Blascetta: Guitar – Voice

03 - Duša našoga grada

“Duša našoga grada” is the first unpublished work of the band and it is drawn from a poem written by Rocco Giorgetta: “Jena brižna duša”. But, what is “duša našoga grada” (the soul of our village)? The word ‘soul’ refers to an old fountain called “Fundzumela”, located a few hundred meters away from the center of the village: it was the place where girls and boys encountered while filling the buckets with water. Why is it defined as ‘poor’? Because today the fountain has lost its value: it is no longer in use and it has been completely destroyed. The soul of our village, just like Fundzumela, can also be referred to the na-našo language: no longer spoken and likely to die. the final part of the song is like an exhortation: “it can’t be like this, we can’t allow it”, that is we have to protect our soul! This is the reason why this song inspires the title of the album “Duša Naša” (“Our Soul”).

Lyrics

The soul of our village is now protected by the bushes
Oh, how am I supposed to get some water?

No matter how rich you made me
now from your vault you can see the stars.

Our soul, now snakes are drinking your water
Oh, I’m too scared to get some water!

You made me drink pails full of water,
(Now) it’s hard to see empty buckets.

It can’t be like this…
We cannot allow it…

So poor, forsaken and tiny,
stay alive my beautiful FUNDZUMELA!

Credits

Lyrics taken from “Jena brižna duša” by Rocco Giorgetta
Music: KroaTarantata

Francesca Sammartino: Voice
Giulia Sammartino: Voice
Gianluca Miletti: Tambourine
Simone Sammartino: Bufù
David De Leo: Guitar
Martina Blascetta: Flute
Lorenzo Blascetta: Accordion – Voice
Stefano Blascetta: Bass
Marco Blascetta: Guitar – Bouzouki – Voice
Nikola Zeichmann: Violin
Andreas Karall: Percussion

04 - Oj, Jelena

“Oj, Jelena” is an homage to the Croatian minority living in Burgenland (Austria) for the wonderful intercultural connection that originated between the two minorities throughout the years. In this version, instead of the typical “tamburice” (mandolins), you can find the tambourine, the accordion and “bufù” giving the rhythms of “tarantella”.

Lyrics

Oh, Jelena, Jelena, green apple.
The grass has grown under her, the clover has grown under her.

She used a scythe, Jelena, the beautiful girl.
With a golden scythe, with a golden scythe, with white hands.

What Jelena cut, she gave it to the horses
Eat, drink, my brother’s horses.

Tomorrow we’ll go on a journey far away.
A new path, a new path, to my sister-in-law.

Credits

Lyrics from the song “Oj Jelena, Jelena, jabuka zelena” are part of the Croatian minority of Burgenland repertoire.
Music: Traditional Gradisče – KroaTarantata

Francesca Sammartino: Voice
Giulia Sammartino: Voice
Gianluca Miletti: Tambourine – Voice
Simone Sammartino: Bufu
David De Leo: Guitar
Martina Blascetta: Flute
Lorenzo Blascetta: Accordion – Voice
Stefano Blascetta: Bass
Marco Blascetta: Guitar – Voice

05 - Divojkica

The song “Divojkica” can be found, not only in Molise, but also in the repertoire of the other Croatian minorities in Europe and in Croatia as well, even though with different versions. The history of this song isn’t exactly known, nor do we know when it entered in the Molise-Croatian musical tradition. It’s a ballad, talking of a girl seeing her boyfriend slipping away to someone else, just because she fell asleep: in the end, she takes revenge cursing him.

Lyrics

Young girl you were picking flowers
and then you fell asleep.

Wake up, wake up, young girl!
Why did you fall asleep?

Your fiancé got married!
Did you fall asleep (for that)?

Let him get married,
Let him get lost!

The clear sky,
the clear sky thundered,
so that he got killed!

The black earth,
the black earth smashed,
so that he got burned!

Credits

Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional – KroaTarantata

Giulia Sammartino: Voice
Gianluca Miletti: Voice
Stefano Blascetta: Slide guitar
Marco Blascetta: Guitar

06 - Lipa Mara

Lipa Mara can be considered the oldest and, perhaps, the most historically significant song of the Croatian linguistic minority of Molise. The presence of Ivan Karlovič, ban of Croatia, living in the same years when the Slavs flew to Italy (XVI century), gives a legendary nature to the song. The legend tells us of Ivan Karlovič, a Croatian ban (local ruler), known by the population and loved by all the women of the land. But there is a girl he doesn’t manage to win over: it’s the beautiful (lipa) Mara, who denies every kind of wooing. That’s why Ivan searches for an expedient to deceive Mara in order to go to her and love her for three nights and three days on the vast plain in front of the sea, where they had gone to pick the violets. After that, Ivan initially leaves Mara, but then ends up to marry her after finding out she is expecting an heir. This is the version set to music by KroaTarantata with the rhythms of the “tammurriata”, a traditional dance from Campania, very similar to the “tarantella”.

Lyrics

Beautiful Mara, let’s go picking flowers.
I don’t want to, I don’t want to, I’m afraid of Karlovič!

The first violet I picked
I brought it on the rock in front of the sea.

As the rose in front of the sea dries out
so does Ivan’s heart.

Your sisters wear lace on their sleeves,
your brothers wear feathers on their hats.

Tapered legs, taffeta stockings,
your sisters wear lace on their sleeves.
Your sisters wear lace on their sleeves
your brothers wear feathers on their hats.

Credits

Lyrics: Traditional
Music: KroaTarantata

Francesca Sammartino: Voice
Giulia Sammartino: Voice
Gianluca Miletti: Tammorra – Voice
Simone Sammartino: Bufù
David De Leo: Guitar
Martina Blascetta: Flute
Lorenzo Blascetta: Accordion
Stefano Blascetta: Bass
Marco Blascetta: Guitar

07 - Lipa divojka rodna

Traditional na-našo song, probably from Acquaviva Collecroce, one of the villages belonging to the linguistic minority. The history of this song is unknown, but we might think that it is an hymn to the woman and, indirectly, to fertility. It can also be seen as a way to make fun of Italians who “have got nothing, only galls”.

Lyrics

Beautiful fertile girl, give me some water.
I can’t give you water, otherwise my brother beats me.

I am poor, I am poor.

Beautiful fertile girl, give me some water.
I gave you water, thank you very much!

I gave it to you.

The Italian man has got nothing, only galls.
The Italian man hasn’t got any bread, only corn.

I am poor, I am poor.

Credits

Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional/KroaTarantata

Francesca Sammartino: Voice
Giulia Sammartino: Voice
Gianluca Miletti: Tambourine – Castanets – Voice
Simone Sammartino: Bufu
David De Leo: Guitar
Martina Blascetta: Flute
Lorenzo Blascetta: Accordion – Voice
Marco Blascetta: Guitar – Voice
Christian De Lellis: Bass

08 - Ta je on

Lyrics adapted from Antonio Sammartino’s poem “Ta je on”. It talks about the föhn, a wind that often “goes and visits” Montemitro. During the song, a kind of suspense takes shape: you can realize it because, in the intro, the name of the main character is left unsaid. (“Ta je on” = This is it) and it’s only revealed in the last verse.

Lyrics

Nobody calls it, but it comes to visit us
and it doesn’t care, it has to rummage through everything.

You hear it in the alleys, over the roofs,
from morning until evening it haunts you.

We cover it with curses,
It also screams on Ascension Day.

Close the door, the window, the balcony,
that it is going to bring your chair as well!

How old it is, we can’t tell,
we just don’t want to hear it anymore.

But it is neither afraid nor ashamed,
it flatters itself to be the best.

We cover it with curses,
It also screams on Ascension Day.

Close the door, the window, the balcony,
that it is going to bring your chair as well!

The elders say
that it will bring along everything
It hasn’t learned how to speak well,
like a donkey, it only knows how to bray.

We cover it with curses,
It also screams on Ascension Day.

Close the door, the window, the balcony,
that it is going to bring your chair as well!

Every month you can see it,
at home, in the countryside, in the square, under the porch.

In January, December or June,
here it is, its name is: FÖHN!

Credits

Lyrics taken from “Ta je on” by Antonio Sammartino
Music: KroaTarantata

09 - Bombinič

Lyrics and music by Pasquale Papiccio, from Acquaviva Collecroce. You may think that this could be only a simple lullaby for children, but it is much more. The lyrics sum up the history of man from the Nativity to today, highlighting the evil that man keeps on fulfilling. During the entire song, Jesus is cradled so that he can happily fall asleep, until the last strophe when he is asked to wake up because the world really needs him: “there’s so much left to do in the world”.

Lyrics

How many years have gone by
that our God has come down to earth!
He became a man, he set his eyes,
the night clears up.
People go out here and there,
they hear singing “Hallelujah”.

Sleep, baby, sleep, baby,
sleep, baby, sleep tight,
a donkey and an ox will warm you,
a donkey and an ox will warm you.

That star that has a tail
brings people in front of you.
Some are black, some are white,
some are healthy, some are rotten.
People run here and there,
who brings gold, who brings straw.

Sleep, baby, …

You said the poor ones,
in your world, they are always the first ones.
In the world, in our world
who has got something always comes first.
It is always like this, as it has always been,
who has got nothing dies of hunger.

Sleep, baby, …

If you love others as you love yourself,
you can come to my world.
El Salvador, Afghanistan,
down in Lebanon and Iran,
people get killed in your house,
they put bombs up in the sky.

Sleep, baby, …

Ten years have passed
since a bomb exploded in the cave.
Yesterday in the cave a bomb went off again,
people didn’t go home.
Children, women and men died,
how much will we pay this debt yet?

Wake up, baby, wake up, baby,
wake up, baby, wake up now!
Because there is so much left to do in the world,
there is so much left to do in the world.

Credits

Lyrics: Pasquale Papiccio
Music: Pasquale Papiccio – KroaTarantata

Francesca Sammartino: Voice
Giulia Sammartino: Voice
Gianluca Miletti: Tammorra – Voice
Simone Sammartino: Bufu
David De Leo: Guitar
Martina Blascetta: Flute
Lorenzo Blascetta: Accordion – Voice
Stefano Blascetta: Slide guitar
Marco Blascetta: Guitar – Contrabass – Voice

10 - Fate do sakoga dana

This is another song taken from a Sammartino’s poem. It’s an ironic song that sketches some attitudes and common sayings typical of popular characters in Montemitro.

Lyrics

In Largo Roma or in Sant’Angelo
you can see an Emilio or an Angelo.

Some “teleignorante”, some “intellettuale”,
but none is the same.

They know everything: who went, who came,
a woman, a dog or a hen.

Then, when they are about to doze off,
they wake up and start arguing.

Yes, yes, yes, no matter what Andrè,
you’d better make two coffees for those two.

“You shut up, I have to talk!”
Those two started a discussion.

Always some new way of thinking
and “Don’t joke at all!”

The strongest wants to rise up:
“You’ve got nothing to do with me!”

And at noon this “Lucifer” looks for candies …
Quick, my tacconelle are ready!

Yes Yes Yes, …

You hear them talking, laughing, picking a fight
and you can learn new words.

Beautiful and ugly, we hear everything
and “We must understand each other when we speak!”

Yes Yes Yes, …

Credits

Lyrics taken from “Fate do sakoga dana” by Antonio Sammartino
Music: KroaTarantata

Francesca Sammartino: Voice
Giulia Sammartino: Voice
Gianluca Miletti: Tambourine – Castanets
Simone Sammartino: Bufu
David De Leo: Guitar
Martina Blascetta: Flute
Lorenzo Blascetta: Accordion – Voice
Stefano Blascetta: Bass
Marco Blascetta: Guitar – Buzuki – Voice
Andreas Karall: Percussion

11 - Lipa Mara (live na tjac)

This version was recorded in “Piazza del Popolo” in Montemitro in the setting of “Lipa Mara flash mob”, an event organized during the summer 2018. It was sung a cappella by various inhabitants of the village, old and young, and this is the version that has standardized here. Probably, this was not the original version that was brought by the first settlers: some parts of the song might have been lost during the years. The song, as we have already said, can be considered the oldest in the Molise-Croatian musical tradition since we can find it also in many important studies related to the community as “Lettere” (1853) by Giovanni de Rubertis or “Le colonie serbocroate nell’Italia Meridionale” (1911) by Milan Rešetar or in “Canti popolari delle colonie slavo-molisane” (1911), an anthropological study by A.M. Cirese. According to Cirese, “Lipa Mara” is part of the “canti karlovaciani” (songs about Karlovič, a legendary Croatian ruler). In this study, Cirese mentions “Jačke” by F. Kurelac (1881) about the Croatian minority of Austria, from the Burgenland region (gradiščanski hrvati), where we can find the story of Mara and Ivan, the same main characters in the song from Molise.

Lyrics

Beautiful Mara, let’s go picking flowers.
I don’t want to, I don’t want to, I’m afraid of Karlovič!

The first violet I picked
I brought it on the rock in front of the sea.

As the rose in front of the sea dries out
so does Ivan’s heart.

Your sisters wear lace on their sleeves,
your brothers wear feathers on their hats.

Tapered legs, taffeta stockings,
your sisters wear lace on their sleeves.
Your sisters wear lace on their sleeves
your brothers wear feathers on their hats.

Credits

Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional

Bartolino Adamo – Bartolino Clara – Beata – Bergantino Marco – Blascetta Lorenzo – Blascetta Marco – Blascetta Martina – Caruso Albina – Caruso Angelina – Caruso Graziella – Caruso Stefano – Ciccarone Leonardo – Cocciolillo Maria Alfonsina – Colapietro Lucia – Cordisco Maria – Cristina Clara – Cristina Paola – Cristini Katia – D’Ambrosio Giovanni – Daniele Giulio – Daniele Nicolina – Daniele Nina – De Leo David – Di Luca Veronica – Felice Roberta – Ferrara Maria – Franchitto Annamaria – Frani Angela – Frani Renzo – Gallo Annunziatina – Giorgetta Ada – Giorgetta Angelo – Giorgetta Donatella – Giorgetta Fabiana – Giorgetta Floriano – Giorgetta Floriano – Giorgetta Franco – Giorgetta Giada – Giorgetta Gina – Giorgetta Lucia – Giorgetta Mario – Giorgetta Michele – Giorgetta Milka – Giorgetta Paola – Giorgetta Rita – Giorgetta Stefano – Ientilucci Matteo – Iorio Fiorina – Iorio Giovanni – Liberatore Antonietta – Ljubić Sammartino Vesna – Masi Ettore – Matijević Maja – Matković Nikolina – Menna Davide – Menna Elia – Menna Francesco – Menna Gregorio – Menna Michelangelo – Miletti Franco – Miletti Gianluca – Miletti Serena – Mirco Nicoletta – Moldovan Ionela – Pasciullo Grazia – Petrelli Corrado – Petrelli Edoardo – Petrelli Rossella – Piccoli Concetta – Piccoli Enzo – Piccoli Giovanni – Piccoli Grazia – Pollace Sara – Ricci Daniela – Ricciuti Gabriella – Romagnoli Antonina – Romagnoli Bruno – Romagnoli Concetta – Romagnoli Concetta – Romagnoli Ilde – Romagnoli Maria – Romagnoli Ortensia – Rulli Franca – Sammartino Antonio – Sammartino Francesca – Sammartino Giovanni – Sammartino Giulia – Sammartino Sergio – Sammartino Simone – Sansone Francesca – Schiopu Alex – Silvestri Pina – Straniero Gaia – Talia Michela: Vuča

De Lellis Christian – Karall Andreas: Technicians
Grilli Cristiana Lucia – Toscani Francesco: Video

produced by KroaTarantata

recorded @ Mundimitar (Pikriž) Studios, Montemitro
Meidling Studios, Vienna
Krawall Studios, Großwarasdorf
Blaš Studios, Mali Borištof
Pinknoise, Kirchschlag

recorded by Christian de Lellis, Andreas Karall, Marco Blascetta
violin recorded at Pinknoise Studio by Thomas Eitel

mixed by Marco Blascetta, Andreas Karall, Lorenzo Blascetta
edited by Marco Blascetta, Christian de Lellis, Christoph Halper
mastered by Horst Pfaffelmayer
design by Phillip Hauck-Tyran