Italian Cultural Week takes off with a showcase today

The week-long celebration of the Italian Cultural Week in Accra, which is organized annually by the embassy in Ghana, starts today, October 16 to 21 to showcase the rich Italian culture, music, architecture and to create a platform for networking.

The Italian Embassy in Ghana will hold the Italian Cultural Week in Accra with the aim of celebrating the rich Italian culture with Italians in Ghana and the people of Ghana.

This year’s programme will showcase performances and exhibitions of Italian contemporary architecture, workshop and concert of “taranta” and Italian movies among others.

The Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Laura Carpini in an interview with journalists at her residence in Accra on Monday said the workshop and concert to be staged in Accra by Tarantula Rubra will try to identify common features between the taranta and pizzica on one hand and traditional Ghanaian percussions, music and traditions on the other.

The Ambassador took the media through the activities for the occasion adding that they are "convinced the Ghanaian audience will be conquered by this music and all that comes with it, we invite everybody to join us for the concert and let music and the rhythm takes over for a cross-cultural dance experience”.

Ambassador Laura Carpini expressed gratitude to some organizations for their support including GhanaWeb Ventures, Casa Trasacco, Consar Limited, DE SIMONE GROUP; and other institutions including the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection and Department of Architecture (KNUST).

Activities scheduled for the week's celebration are as follows:

- On Thursday, October 16 at 11am, there will be the showcase of: WORKSHOP “TWO CULTURES, SAME RYTHMS”, by Tarantula Rubra, a contemporary Italian musical band at the University of Ghana School of Performing Arts, Legon.

Tarantula Rubra is a pseudonym used by Anna Nacci, anchorwoman of a radio programme dedicated to sociological and musical topics resolving around popular traditions for Southern Italy. Anna is in fact a musician, sociologist and counsel.

- On Friday, October 17 at 7pm, there will be a musical performance on “Twin Rythms” at the Alliance Francaise, Behind Opeibea House.

Tarantism is a very ancient musical and dancing tradition associated with the Southern region of Puglia. This music and its dance were used to treat women and sometimes men who, while working in the fields would be bitten by tarantulas and have convulsions and symptoms of madness.

Local musicians would then be called to play this very rhythmic and obsessive music. The workshop and concert offered in Accra will try to showcase common features between “tarantism” and traditional Ghanaian music.

- On Saturday October 18 at 6pm, there will be a film titled “Pinocchio” by Luigi Comencini with Nino Manfredi at the Residence of the Italian Ambassador, Dakar Avenue, Airport Residential Area.

It is an Italian classic and a very accurate screen adaptation of the story of one of the world’s most famous puppets. How it happened that Mastro Cherry, a carpenter, found piece of wood that wept and laughed like a child... This movie is suitable for teenagers and adults.

- Monday October 20 at 10am, there will be an exhibition of Italian Contemporary Architecture: “Small Utopias”, at the Department of Architecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, and will be opened by Prof. Pippo Ciorra, Senior Curator.

The Exhibition “Small Utopias” has been realized by the Rome’s National Museum of XXI Century Arts (MAXXI) and presents the most vital examples of contemporary Italian architecture.

Recurrent topics are environmental awareness and sustainability, new technologies, use of public spaces and quality of landscapes, both urban and rural. The exhibition will be on display until October 24.

- Same day Monday, October 20 at 7pm, there will be another film titled “Generazione Mille Euro”, by Massimo Venier at the Goethe Institute at Cantonments.

Matteo, an underemployed physicist gives occasional lectures while working at a PR firm where he knows he will be fired. Two women are attracted to him: the blonde Angelica, whom he met smoking on the office rooftop, and Beatrice the brunette, a new flat mate, looking for a teaching job.

Will Matteo figure out what he wants and decide before opportunity passes him by?

- On Tuesday, October 21, there will be a film at the Goethe Institute at 7pm titled “Scialla” by Francesco Bruni.

Retired teachers and novelist Bruno Beltrame has all but given up on life. While ghost writing a biography, he also gives private lessons to make ends meet.

One of his students is 15 year old Luca, a rebellious and restless teenager.

When Luca’s mother takes a six-month job in Africa, Bruno’s world turned upside down when she reveals that Luca is Bruno’s son and asks him to look after Luca while she is away.