Cartolina 6 & 11 January

In the first program of the new year, Denis and Wilma talk with Fiona Laryn about her months spent in Monza and her project of becoming a professional drift race pilot. Fiona, on the eve of going back to Italy, explains what a drift race is made of, and how it's becoming an increasingly popular sport. It's also very expensive, so she hopes to attract sponsorships, apparently being the only female pilot in this speciality in Italy. Fiona also talks about looking at Italy as a New Zealander and an Italian at the same time, and about young people here and there. We play songs by Fiorella Mannoia. And... oops... we kept recording also off the interview....

. And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 23 & 28 December 2009

Wednesday 23 December at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 28th at 10.30 am:

Speciale Natale!

In this special Christmas programme we collect family memories of two ladies of the Italian immigration to Christchurch: Paola Starace (originally from Naples) and Edda Donaggio (originally from Pola).

Christmas traditional music and our best wishes, accompanied by a nice contribution from our sister radio in Auckland 'La vita e` bella'. Buon Natale a tutti!.And here is the rest of it.

Dante-Befana - the dinner to know each other

On 6th January Italians celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. with a visit of la Befana and a convivial dinner together. This year the Società Dante Alighieri invites you to come along to a get-to-know you dinner at Tutto Bene Restaurant 192 Papanui Rd, Merivale, on 6th January from 6.30pm. La
Befana will be present with calze di dolci for the children (and perhaps also for those who once were children—if they are good!).

Places are limited to a total of 30 people (including children) attending, so let us know early to avoid disappointment. Come along and share in this evening of food and la Befana on 6th January, bring your children and grandchildren.


RSVP no later than Wednesday 30th December to: Denis or Federico


There will be a set price menu at $30 per person, children under 10 free, The set menu will
include

Focaccia
Pizze assortite
Salads
Desserts
Coffee
Soft drinks: Coca-Cola, Fanta, Lemonade included
Wines and Beer may be bought separately or BYO
Lots of Italian language, fun and entertainment.

Italian for beginners - one week course January 2010

Introduction to Italian using communicative methods, focusing on practical language useful for tourists, but at the same time establishing good foundations for Italian language learning (and foreign language learning in general).

A Community Education course at Christchurch Polytech (CPIT) 25 to 29 January 2010 (Mon to Thurs 9 - 12 and Friday 9 – 1)
Tutor: Daniela Bagozzi

Inquiries: contact CPIT for enrolment 

(fee should be around $40, a small charge will be payable for materials)
 Other inquiries: you are welcome to contact the tutor. 

Cartolina 9 & 14 December 2009

Wednesday 9 December at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 14th at 10.30 am:

Our guest this week is Dante member  Dorothy Helyer. Abstract painter, Dorothy has recently exhibited at the Coca, and has attended an art workshop in Florence. She’ll tell us about her Italian experience and her inspiration. Dorothy’s works can be viewed on line, visiting www.coca.org.nz

We play songs by the Italian pop rock music group Lunapop, including the great hit “50 special”, dedicated to the motoscooter Vespa 50. The story of this icon vehicle is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespa

. And here is the rest of it.

North Italian City States

North Italian City States: Ravenna, Parma & Fontanellato - Tricia Carr speaking at the Canterbury WEA, 59 Gloucester Street, Thursday 10 December, 11am - 12noon. All welcome, cost $4, phone 366 0285.
. And here is the rest of it.

Words and sounds to remember Pompeii - 26 November

Te Papa Museum, Level 4 Espresso - Thursday 26 November 6.30–8.30 pm

Poets Marco Sonzogni and Vincent O’Sullivan join musician Lorenzo Buhne for an evening of music and words to remember Pompeii. Listen to the traditional melodies and harmonies of southern Italian villages. Hear the poets recite their work, and get a glimpse of Roman life through the eyes of Pliny with readings of excerpts from his letters.

The event anticipates the breathtaking A Day in Pompeii exhibition, opening on 19 December. 2010

Free entry.

 

And here is the rest of it

Cine Dante - Thursday 26 November

This month's film is Casomai by director Alessandro D'Alatri.

8:15 pm Metro Theatre, 105 Worcester St, Cathedral Junction.

Dante aperitivo:  One hour before the film you are invited to come along to the cinema for Aperitivo Dante, an hour of Italian conversation and company.

Note: the Metro's usual charge of $13.50 will apply but the showing is a private one for members of the Dante Society, the Italian community and their friends. We'll offer nibbles. Soft drinks and wine are available from the Metro's cash bar. 

And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 25 & 30 November

This week it’s gold and jewels! Craig Anderson, of Jewelers & Watchmakers of NZ Inc., is a regular visitor to gold fairs in Italy, like the famous Vicenza Oro. He tells of his Italian experience, and of different attitudes to jewels in Italy and New Zealand. We play songs by Antonello Venditti.
 

Wednesday 25 November at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 30th at 10.30 am.

And here is the rest of it.

Renato ("Michael") Amato research project

Dr Sally Hill (Senior Lecturer in Italian at Victoria University of Wellington) is working on a research project on the life and works of Italian New Zealand writer Renato (known as “Michael”) Amato (1928-1964), who was born in Potenza, studied in Turin and worked in Naples and Rome before moving to New Zealand in 1954.
Sally’s research looks at what immigration to New Zealand meant for Renato Amato, particularly in terms of questions of cultural identity and how he made the change from writing in Italian to English. She would love to hear from anyone who remembers him. If you are able to help, please contact her on 463 5298, email: sally.hill@vuw.ac.nz or by phoning Nina Cuccurullo on 463 5293 or 383 7142 (evenings). And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 11 & 16 November 2009

Wednesday 11 November at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 16th at 10.30 am: 

This week Cartolina delves into fashion issues, with two guests. Marilyn McLachlan of Kimberley’s, talks about the pleasure and pains of imported Italian fashion, and Plains FM Station manager Nicki Reece talks about being elegant in Italy and New Zealand. We play Hey Big Spender and Vecchio Frack.


. And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 28 October & 2 November

Wednesday 28 October at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 2 November at 10.30 am:: Radio La vita e` bella.

Cartolina is delighted to introduce her sister radio program in Auckland, with the wonderful name of “La vita e` bella”. Meet the producers Cristina, Luca, Emanuele, and hear their experience. The new Italian radio program is aired in Auckland through Planet fm every Sunday evening from 9.10. Out of Auckland you can’t listen live, but you can catch up with each program in pod cast, from the Planet fm website, just follow the links. It’s one hour of live entertainment, in Italian and English. Best wishes to the three producers. In bocca al lupo, ragazzi!

We play archive songs.

. And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 14 & 19 October

Wednesday 14 October at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 19th at 10.30 am::
The 2009 Italian Film Festival starts in a few days.
The festival director, Tony Lambert, tells us about the wonderful line-up of the 17 films in program at the Rialto. All kinds of films are included: comedy, drama, thriller, politics, immigration, history, jazz music, art, cooking, and a documentary on Ferrari. Two amazing weeks, starting with gala opening on 21 October.

. And here is the rest of it.

October meeting - AGM & Cine Dante

Our next monthly event is on Wednesday the 14th of October at the Metro Theatre, 105 Worcester St, Cathedral Junction.

We begin at 7.30 pm with some nibbles and then the AGM will take place at 8 pm. At 8:30 pm an Italian film, Marcello, Marcello with subtitles, will be shown in a theatre at the Metro. Marcello Marcello will inaugurate Cine Dante, our new Italian film night.

The Metro's usual charge of $13.50 will apply but the showing is a private one for members of the Dante Society, the Italian community and their friends before the film is released generally. We'll offer nibbles. Soft drinks and wine are available from the Metro's cash bar. RSVP is recommended: please email the Dante Society dantechch@gmail.com

 


. And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 30 September & 5 October

Wednesday 30 September at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 5 October at 10.30 am: What would you do if you won a scholarship to spend one month in Italy to study Italian language at a Dante school? Adrienne Dempsey and Louise Easter offer their perspectives after spending one month in Siena and in Rome respectively. Also this year the Christchurch Dante will give away a 1,500 Euro scholarship granted by the Dante Sede Centrale, in connection with the Literary Competition held in October for Christchurch students. The title of this year's competition is revealed in this program!

. And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 16 & 21 September 2009

Wednesday 16 September at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 21 September at 10.30 am: Denis and Wilma go through the Franchi Sementi catalogue and make their choices for the coming planting season. They also ask Claire Levy, an expert on serious veggie planting, for some advice about how to grow these seeds.

Of course, there are tasty recipes for the fruit of such labour, including the pasta dell’ortolano.  

The Franchi seeds giveaway is announced: listen to the program to see how you can have a chance of winning.

. And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 2 & 7 September 2009

Wednesday 2 September at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 7  September at 10.30 am:  It’s the season for planning our vegetable gardens! Gillian Hurley-Gordon talks about the Italian seeds that she imports from a more than 200 year old family business: Franchi Sementi. Many are rare Italian heirloom seeds that you can buy in Christchurch from selected garden centers and from Mediterranean Foods in Tuam St, or you can buy online from: www.italianseedspronto.co.nz

We play "Fumo nero" and "Oasi" from Pino Daniele's compilation: "Non calpestare i fiori nel deserto". And here is the rest of it.

I luoghi danteschi: dall'Inferno al Purgatorio, Paradiso e Facebook

Dante Christchurch is now on Facebook  thanks to Federico Tomasetto who has set this up for us.  "L'idea mi è sembrata molto carina ed in voga con i tempi attuali quindi perchè non concederci anche un bel pò di mondanità con la Dante?" ha spiegato Federico.  And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 19 & 24 August

Wednesday 19 August at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 24 August at 10.30 am: Our guest is Ewan Mitchell, who talks about his recent 8000 km trip in Italy, that has given him quite an indepth insight into Italian driving habits.

Ewan is an enthusiast of Italian cars, of which he owns a few. He's also an enthusiast of Italian food, and he's given an Italian theme to his renowned Mitchelli's Café and Deli in Ash Street. We play Con te partirò, sung by Andrea Bocelli.

. And here is the rest of it.

August meeting - Due prospettive: Louise Easter e Adrienne Dempsey

7:30pm, Wed. 12 August at the Linwood Community Arts Centre, corner of Stanmore Rd & Worcester St.

Louise Easter and Adrienne Dempsey talk about their time in Rome and Siena, as winners of scholarships of the Dante Literary Competition.   

Louise won the scholarship in 2007 and studied in Siena from 1 September to 28 September, 2008.
 
Adrienne won the scholarship in 2008 and studied in Rome from 5 January to 27 February.

. And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 5 & 10 August 2009

Wednesday 5 August at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 10 August at 10.30 am: We talk about tarantella, the most famous Italian folk dance, with our Neapolitan-in-residence Tilde Romano. In the programme we play music to dance to! Listen to classic tarantella from Naples and to live recordings from Apulia.

Tilde has been teaching tarantella in Christchurch in a short course organized by the Dante Society.
 And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 22 & 27 July 2009

Wednesday 22 July at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 27 July at 10.30 am:
Chris Moore, the arts editor of The Press, talks about his experience at the opening of the Biennale in Venice. He tells about water connections, language and art overload. But mostly, how he fell in love with Venice within 10 minutes …

. And here is the rest of it.

Penfriend wanted

Fabio from Italy writes: 

I'm 43 years old, interested in hiking, photography, cinema and reading

I would like to know and keep in touch with people from your nation for
friendship and to know much better your culture. Could you help me?

email: fabioberetta@depedrini.com

. And here is the rest of it.

July meeting - Ewan Mitchell “8000Km through Italy"

7:30pm, Wed. 8 July at the Linwood Community Arts Centre, corner Stanmore Rd & Worcester St.

8000 km—that’s the distance that Ewan drove in six weeks during his latest trip in Italy. This indicates his love for the Country and its cars, of which he’s a collector. Plenty of pictures to accompany this unique travelogue. Ewan is the owner of Mitchelli’s Café in Ash Street, where he has recreated the ambience of an Italian café.

. And here is the rest of it.

gli Azzurri tenace e coraggioso

The final score was New Zealand 27 Italy 6, but the azzurri played with spirit and style. Some photos taken at AMI stadium last night can be viewed on our website. 

And here is the rest of it.

Italiantarctica 25 June

Thursday 25, at 7 pm, Chapel of the Music Centre, 140 Barbadoes St.

This documentary is co-produced by PNRA, the Italian National Programme of Research in Antartica and RAI, and is screened for the first time in New Zealand.

Free entry, donations welcome. Refreshments available for purchase.

 (This event is supported by Cracroft Chase Vineyard).  
. And here is the rest of it.

Italian mornings on PLAINS FM 96.9

This week from 8 to 10 am: Italian songs and interviews:

Friday 26

Nik Mavromatis – chef and manager of the Mediterranean Café on Tuam St. very interested in Italian food, and in the Slow Food Movement, on coffee.

Wilma Laryn and Denis Walker - Cartolina program-makers, on fashion in Italy and New Zealand.

Maria Fresia – Continuing Education classes at the University of Canterbury, on courses and students are.

Shirley Johnson - Civic and International Relations Manager, Christchurch City Council, on a multicultural city and in particular about the relationship with the Italian community






Italian community.

Cartolina 24 & 29 June 2009

Wednesday 24June at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 29June at 10.30 am: Canterbury Museum’s senior curator Jennifer Queree and Christchurch Art Gallery’s curator Peter Vangioni tell us of which Italian and Italian-inspired artworks are in Christchurch. Plenty of nice items for a curious mind in a winter day….

Music from Nino Rota’s Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra.


. And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 10 & 15 June

Wednesday 10 June at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 15 June at 10.30 am:: Terence Dobson talks about the Italian animation films, from pioneer artists in 1908 to contemporary Bruno Bozzetto. He tells of the Disney revolution, and the contemporary trends.

Republic Day Dinner 12 June

Our June event will be a 3 course Italian themed dinner at Visions Restaurant, CPIT. Starting at 7.30 pm. $35 per person, tea and coffee included. Please pay by 8 June (see the newsletter for details).  The menu is:

To Start

Salmon and Dill Fettuccine
~
Antipasto Platter
~
Tomato and Basil Ravioli

Followed By

Grilled Chicken Breast with Brandy and Tomato Sauce
~
Baked Fish with Butter Wine Sauce
~
Braised Ribeye Steak with Red Wine and Shallot Sauce
mains served on seasonal vegetables, baked rosemary and garlic potatoes

To Finish

Soft Nougat Pudding
~
Zuccotto

Cartolina 27 May & 1 June

Wednesday 27 May at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 1 June at 10.30 am:
Piri Sciascia tells the story of his Italian ancestry and the Sciascia whanau’s search for family roots in Italy .
Nicola Sciascia came to New Zealand from Trani around 1870, and left a legacy of 11 children and 115 grand children. Presently, the extended family counts some 4000 people! On the centenary of Nicola’s death, in 1997, 64 members of the family (four generations, aged from 18 to 80) travelled to Italy to reconnect with people and places. More connections and contacts were revealed in the following years, and a smaller party made a final trip in 2007.
A Cavaliere title was awarded by the Italian Government to celebrate this successful research. And here is the rest of it.

Un appello piuttosto urgente

Urgently needed in Wellington: two people with Italian citizenship to witness a signature at the Consular Office for an Italian citizen travelling up from Christchurch. The Embassy staff no longer act as witnesses when legal documents have to be signed at the Wellington consular office, and the applicant in question doesn’t know anyone in the area.
Please contact Daniela Bagozzi if you can help.

Un cittadino italiano residente a Christchurch avrebbe bisogno di trovare due persone con cittadinanza italiana (o due stranieri residenti in Italia, che si trovino di passaggio a Wellington), come testimoni all'atto della firma di un documento presso l'Ufficio Consolare dell'Ambasciata d'Italia, a Wellington.

(A quanto pare, da un anno a questa parte il personale dell'Ambasciata non
viene piu' chiamato a fungere da testimone in occasione della stipula di
atti notarili, e il cittadino si deve presentare accompagnato da due testimoni).

Mi potreste aiutare a trovare qualcuno?
Ringrazio anticipatamente,
Daniela

. And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 13 & 18 May

Wednesday 13 May at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 18th at 10.30 am: Memories.

This program celebrates the lives, the adventures and the legacies of three people, all connected by the wonderful Italian town of Trieste during WW2. Nicki Barlow tells of her father’s war stories in Italy, and we’ll remember two dear friends, Frank Harvey and Ada Lucas.

. And here is the rest of it.

May meeting - Terence Dobson "Non troppo"

7:30pm, Wed. 13 May at the Linwood Community Arts Centre, corner Stanmore Rd & Worcester St.

Terence Dobson will talk about Italian film animation: what it is and what has been done, and show some film clips.

Terence teaches film animation in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies at the University of Canterbury. He is a published author of works on film animation and the films of Bhutan.

And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 29 April & 4 May

Wednesday 29 April at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 4 May at 10.30 am: In this program Wilma talks with students and teachers from the Mosso school in Italy, in occasion of their recent visit to Christchurch, to search for the family and places of the late Corporal Frank Bowes, who fought and was executed with a group of Partigiani during WW2 in Mosso, and to meet with Frank’s son John Bowes. This old trail started in Italy in 1944 and continues now on both sides of the world. A film on this war episode is being made as a school project.

And here is the rest of it.

Dieci anni di Cartolina!!

15 & 20 April Anniversary Programme. This year Cartolina celebrates 10 years of being on air. In this anniversary programme the tables are turned, and Denis interviews Wilma on how the Cartolina adventure started. We also talk about some of the highlights of those 10 years and play special snippets from the archive, including Cartolina‟s very first interview, with Peppino, chef at the Italian Antarctic Station, and the memorable adventures of the mysterious penguin Gennaro.
The programmes can be heard on Plains FM on Wednesday 15 April at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 20th at 10.30 am. For an archive of all the Cartolina programmes see http://www.dante.org.nz/chch/ARCHIVIO.htm.

April Meeting - John & Jacqui Doogan "Why I enjoy photographing in Italy."

7:30pm, Wed. 8 April at the Linwood Community Arts Centre, corner Stanmore Rd & Worcester St.

John & Jacqui Doogan will take us on a photographic trip in Italy showing images collected from a number of trips. They will pass on useful tips and advice about travel photography.  A pasta supper and coffee will follow.   Visit John & Jacqui's webpages at http://www.italyphototour.co.nz/

Cartolina 1st & 6th April

Wednesday 1 April at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 6th at 10.30 am: the last program of the Neapolitan song series is about Sole e Luna, sun and moon, that obviously have a great part in either love songs or landscape descriptions. A few songs have been chosen, in which sole e luna are paramount, from O sole mio to Luna Rossa, also to pay homage to the Italian boats on the Hauraki Gulf.. And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 18 & 23 March

Wednesday 18 March at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 23rd at 10.30 am: La Malafemmena, or the bad woman (usually called so for just not reciprocating the singer’s love...). Our true Neapolitan-in-residence, Tilde Romano, explains the peculiar attitude of Neapolitan men that inspires the Malafemmena phenomenon. Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of songs to play!

Farewell Frank

This week we received the sad news that Frank Harvey has passed away. Frank was a member of our committee from 2002 to 2007, and also vice-chairman of the Italy Star Association. Frank was a soldier in Italy during the war and was at Cassino and Trieste.  In later years he often visited his many friends in Italy. Wilma read an eulogy at Frank's funeral on behalf of the Dante Society.  Wilma's eulogy is printed here:

Una vasca da bagno piena fino all’orlo di polenta ...

A bath tub filled to the rim with maize flour, to be sold on the black market by the family where Frank had his officer’s lodgings. He had become friends with them, and the villagers around, and a few signorina, the young girls.
This is the image that most remained with me after I interviewed Frank for the Italian radio programme, Cartolina. (I’m Wilma Laryn and I’m speaking on behalf of the radio program and of the Italian Dante Alighieri Society of Christchurch).
Not the gory recollection of the mud mixed with blood at Cassino, or the entry of the first armoured tank in Trieste. The polenta-filled bath tub was more like Frank’s witty humour.
After the interview, all of a sudden he added: “you know, I could have stayed and married a signorina!”.
I answered, cynically, that in that case he would have loved Italy much less, because he would have had to put up with the Italian traffic and the Italian bureaucracy, more fearsome enemies than the ones with uniform and rifle that he had encountered at war.
Still, the question lingered: what if…..

It seems science is seriously considering a concept that writers of science fiction have been playing with for a long time: parallel universes. It seems possible in the field of great numbers, that somewhere an Earth-like planet, with Earth-like people may have evolved, where each of us may have led a similar, but slightly different life. In one such parallel universe Frank may have settled in a Tuscan village, and his children would have called him babbo, and his great-children would have called him nonno. He would have come to New Zealand at least once a year to visit relatives and friends, and he could have seen a beautiful girl, called Margaret, and wondered: what if….

As all the Italians who now call New Zealand home know very well, having your heart in two places is difficult, sometimes painful. Still, that gives you the ability to look at things and at people from various angles, to understand them better, to interact with them better. It requires strength and humility, brain and heart. Frank had all of the above, aplenty.
Frank was one of the many New Zealanders who went to Italy to fight, and came back with great enthusiasm for Italy and the Italians. It’s from experiences like his that New Zealanders have started to know Italy and love it.

To say that Frank was an active member of the Dante Society Committee is an understatement. For many, many years he has given advice and worked hard on every project we had: from designing the shelves-on-wheels for our library, to envisaging the friendly raffle to raise money at our monthly meetings (using his well-worn Cassino hat to keep the tickets to draw).
For his 90th birthday we gave him a mega-lecca lecca (a huge lollypop): it was an affectionate recognition of his youthful vitality. We knew his age, but somehow that didn’t mean much to us. We were all expecting a new birthday bash, ten years on. We are very sad, but somehow we can’t be really sad. Our real feelings are of love and gratitude; our real memories are of his energy and humour.
Personally, I like to think of Frank living at the same time in those parallel universes, able to be here and there as he pleases. It may seem impossible, but… what if….

.

Culture Galore 14 March

On Saturday 14 March we will again join the other ethnic communities for Culture Galore . Please come and taste some bruschetta and coffee at our stand. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Date: Saturday 14 March
Time: 12pm – 4pm
Location: Ray Blank Park, Maidstone Road
If wet: Event will be cancelled.

Cartolina 4 & 9 March

Wednesday 4th March at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 9th at 10.30 am: Lorenzo Buhne: the past and future of Neapolitan song Wellington-based Italian singer-song writer Lorenzo Buhne talks about the past and future of Neapolitan song. We play: Il ritornello delle lavandaie del Vomero, with the unmistakeable sound of Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare, and Lorenzo's version of Dicitencello Vuje. 

Lorenzo Buhne's new album

Lorenzo Buhne's new CD "Buon Giorno" is now available online at Marbecks.co.nz and cdbaby.com. Lorenzo's lastest CD updates the Neapolitan and Italian traditional music and blends it with Brazilian, Arabic, and Rock influences. 





Here are Lorenzo's commments about the songs:

Tu Si Na Cosa Grande
The title humorously and literally translated is “You are a large thing.”
Of course it’s his love for her that’s large. A beautiful song by Domenico Modugno and a huge hit from 1964.

Nebbia
My father does not play an instrument but this doesn’t stop him from writing songs.
When it was time for me to go to bed, or if I needed comfort, he would cradle me in his arms and sing “Nebbia” until I’d fall asleep. This song is within me and I’m happy to have finally recorded it.

Buon Giorno
When Nico was born I greeted him by saying Buon Giorno! This song has a traditional Neapolitan feel, and is recorded largely with toy instruments. Buon Giorno means “Good Morning!” and is about singing, playing and dancing and to make some noise, to celebrate life and death whenever possible. This song is dedicated to both Cav. Remiro Bresolin and my son Nico.

Mina
…is a girl who is hot and dangerous, a bandit and a lover. A femme fatale.

San Valentino
When I visit my father we hug and he says “here” and hands me his latest poem.
While I was reading it for the first time, I stopped, grabbed his guitar and began singing. This track was recorded the following day.

Egli & Il Fantasma
When I visit with my brother Paolo he also says “here” and hands me his latest poems. Egli and Il Fantasma are similar in their view that “the world is at the doorstep of doom,” though Egli is humorous, and Il Fantasma is bleak and cold.

Federico’s Caper
Federico is a bit of a prankster. Fun to be with, spiritually satisfying and always up to something. Dedicated to FDL.

Tu
Tu is the song I identify with most. The lyrics are of a traveler who searches the world over, finally finding the one to love.

Cartolina 18 & 23 February

Wednesday 18 February at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 23 at 10.30 am:

continuing the series on Neapolitan song, this programme's topic is love. Our Neapolitan-in-residence, Tilde Romano, tells her love story (in pure Neapolitan dialect!), to co-hosts Wilma Laryn and Denis Walker.

We play wonderful Neapolitan songs of love: La ricciolella Antonia (1750), Maria Mari` (1899), O surdato ‘nnammorato (1915), Tititi`, Tititi`, Tititi (1935), Anema e core (1950).

Cartolina 4 & 9 February

Wednesday 4 February at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 9 at 10.30 am: you’ll meet fish, fishermen and fishmongers!

Wilma and Denis tell the legend of the siren Partenope, and give the recipe of zuppa di pesce partenopea with ingredients sorted out by special guest Olga Hanson of What a catch seafood shop.

We play: Marechiare, Pescatore ‘e Posilleco, and Lo guarracino, an anonymous song from 1768. It’s a surreal story, fast paced, incredibly rich in detail and humour.

Cartolina celebrates its 10th birthday this month, having started on the 3rd of February 1999. A big thank you to guests, listeners and PLAINS FM staff.

… and don’t forget to look at the pictures!! Most programs are accompanied by pictures of the interviewees, and you can find them on the Radio Program page of the Dante website.

Cartolina 21& 26 January 2009

On Wednesday 21 January at 7.30 pm, repeated on Monday 26 at 10.30 am.
Cari amici, in the next Cartolina Wilma Laryn and Denis Walker start a short series of programs about Neapolitan song (although the more we work on it, the more ideas we come up with….).
For a start, we’ll take you through the most famous songs, everyone’s favourites: Torna a Surriento, sung by Giuseppe DiStefano, Funiculi` Funicula`, sung by Sergio Bruni, and Santa Lucia, sung by Beniamino Gigli.
All songs with their particular stories behind.
We also play the first two promos of Cartolina’s sponsor for this year (see photo on Radio Programme Page). And here is the rest of it.

Cartolina 7 & 12 January 2009

Wilma explores the folk music of Apulia on a fascinating journey through Matteo Salvatore’s songs.
He couldn’t read and write, never went to school, at seven he was taught by a blind old fiddler the songs orally transmitted for generations, and the style peculiar of this tradition. In 14 years with the old man he learned some 150 songs, while earning their living with their music. When the old man died, Matteo went to Rome, on foot, it seems, in 5 days. He played in restaurants, attracting the attention of interested people. One of them took him to Torino, where he started a successful career, becoming the voice of the South. Illiterate, Matteo was a natural poet. He left the traditional folklore behind, and composed all new songs, lyrics and music, in the true style of Italian singer songwriters. His words were simple, often in dialect, and covered all aspects of poor people’s life.

Quotes from Italian broadcaster Vito Laterza, and Chinese violinist Zhang Zhang.

Songs: La sciuscella, Il pescivendolo, La nascita, Marito e moglie, La morte traditrice, Il lamento dei mendicanti, Mo ve’ la bella mia dalla muntagna, Lu pecurere, Lu furastiero, La notte e` bella.