Last August 19th, in Tropea, in the suggestive setting of the Island, the twelfth edition of Culture a Confronto (Cultures in Comparison) was held, an international festival of popular music created by Andrea Addolorato, who, since 2013, has been officially committed to the protection of folklore and popular culture.
Addolorato, in addition to being President of Culture a Confronto and of the Folk Group of the Municipality of Tropea, is also a Councilor of FITP (Italian Federation of Popular Traditions) Italy and Iov Italy (International Organization of Folk Art). For many years he has been dedicated to the diffusion of popular culture and cultural exchange with all the countries of the world, through numerous initiatives and projects.
Culture a Confronto is a two days memorable event made in collaboration with other associations, and recognized at a national and global level in which groups from all over the world participate.
Unfortunately, this year, the Italian institutions have preferred to circumvent peace by canceling a day of the Festival, to dedicate it to those who do not gain from peace. In fact, instead of the first day of the Culture a Confronto Festival, it was preferred to give space to the concert of the Fanfare of the 12th Carabinieri Regiment “Sicilia”, in an evening defined as “in the name of culture and security”.
The extraordinary commission currently leading the municipality of Tropea consistently with what happens in the rest of Southern Italy, erases all the good and positive that has been achieved in recent years.
With a whiplash there is a tendency to sweep away all the improvements to the city and the community made in the last 4 years.
No big deal though, because the inhabitants of Tropea and the numerous tourists who crowd the streets of the city at all hours have followed and applauded the ethnic groups of artists who, for this edition of the Festival, arrived from Bolivia, Kazakhstan and Kenya, in addition to the participation of the Italian folk group made up of children who on stage brought traditional Calabrian dances and songs.
Tropis hotel gave a warm welcoming to the organization and to all the participants.
Group photos and greetings, moments of cultural twinning where the children of Gruppo Folk jammed with Kazakhstani musician and a buffet of delicacies offered, as usual, by the hotel.
And right from the Tropis hotel, which is located up to the hill, the parade started. Then the groups crossed the historic center of Tropea to reach the stage located in Marina dell’Isola where a welcoming choreography “Terra Madre” (Mother Earth) by the Kaos Ballett dance school, directed by Loredana Naccari opened the show.
The event, hosted by Domenico Gareri, has seen performing the children of Gruppo Folk Città di Tropea, directed by Concetta Lorenzo, followed by the multi awarded group of the Mayor University of San Simon Bolivia, directed by María Esther Maldonado Rodríguez, who played and danced Bolivian traditional music.
Then the TuganZher group from Kazakhstan were on stage with songs and dances directed by Maxim Tonkov with choreography by Samat Zhumazhanov.
The event ended with the performance of Tarumbeta, from Nairobi, Kenya, who through dances and songs involved the entire audience, even the tourists who looked out onto Piazza del Cannone.
IOV Italia Section Partner Unesco vice president Marcello Perrone and Gerardo Bonifati President of FITP (Italian Federation of Popular Traditions) attended the event, underlining the importance of the initiative and the work of Andrea Addolorato.
Every year Culture a Confronto awards a plaque to those who act in favor of the territory and support peace and union initiatives.
This year have been awarded: Tropis Hotel, in the persons of Domenica and Francesca Mamone; Simone La Boccetta of Labo Apartments; and Hotel Rocca Nettuno; for their constant and solid support to the Festival, thus the culture.
Professor Gregorio Teti, director of the technical area and area of services, aids and assistance at the Prosthetics Center of Vigorso di Budrio and head of the Inail center in Lamezia Terme, got the award, delivered by Senator Silvia Vono
“For giving his “scientific knowledge” a cultural and ethical dimension, aimed at alleviating discomfort and marginalization and restoring to many people – as in the case of little Mustafà – the dignity lost due to the atrocities of war. Eng. Teti’s professional commitment suggests, then, an increasingly important anthropological approach to disability and rehabilitation, seen as the final stage of a path capable of generating a radical cultural change in a society that, even today, has a strong prejudice against diversity.”
Infact professor Teti made his professionalism available to help little Mustafà, the limbless Syrian child arrived in Italy with his family by treating him.
Thanks to the initiatives of the territory for the territory, Tropea has been invested again by that gleam of light that has always belonged to it. Since history, the real improvement has been obtained through culture and almost never by the will of the institutions but certainly by the action of people, of people like Andrea Addolorato who does not spare himself and who with much effort, and also thanks to the help of a few supporters, every year through culture spreads a message of awareness and peace in the community and among the communities of the world.
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