Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino

Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (CGS), formed by writer Rina Durante in 1975, is a traditional music ensemble from Salento, Italy. The seven piece band and dancer perform a contemporary style of Southern Italy’s traditional Pizzica music and dance.

According to the group’s website, it has performed with musical artists including Ballaké Sissoko, Ibrahim Maalouf, Piers Faccini, composer Ludovico Einaudi, and drummer Stewart Copeland of The Police. CGS opened the Concertone of La Notte della Taranta in Melpignano in front of over 100,000 people.

Based in Lecce, the group performs concerts under the direction of fiddler and drummer Mauro Durante. Durante took over as bandleader from his father, Daniele Durante, in 2007. Previously, Durante was the musical assistant to Einaudi, Maestro Concertatore of the La Notte della Taranta festival.

CGS has recorded 18 albums and performed in the US, Canada, Europe and the Middle East. In 2010, CGS was awarded Best Italian World Music Group at the Meeting of Independent Labels festival in Italy.

In 2015, they released Quaranta (40), an album recorded live-to-tape without overdubs and produced by Ian Brennan.

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