Music in the Langhe: the main musical events during the 2015 summer

Summer’s just started and it’s time for music. The most important music festivals on our hills are under way. Let’s have a look at the main dates, aside from Collisioni 2015!

Asti Musica

We start at Asti, in Monferrato, where the Ecofestival delle Note, the 20th edition of Asti Musica, will be held from the 1st to the 12th of July. Let’s see the original video presentation:

https://youtu.be/e_wPQR11_aM

There are quite a few musical artists such as Paolo Conte, who returns twenty years after his last performance in Asti; then there’s Umberto Tozzi, a milestone in Italian music; then we change genres with Ensi* and  Folkstone*. And of course there will be jazz nights with Brass Bang, Danilo Rea and Doctor 3; there’ll also be some rock power with keyboardist Rick Wakeman; and the folk singers will be represented by Carmen Consoli, Mannarino, Arianna Antinori* and Asti’s own Chiara Dello Iacovo* along with Levante from Sicily. In short, an explosive mix of cultures and genres.

But the Asti Musica does not stop here! On Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July the 1st edition of the Giorgio Faletti prize will be held in commemoration of the great artist who died last year. There will be many special guests for the occasion: Luciana Litizzetto, Omar Pedrini, Vaporidis, Danilo Amerio and many others.

It promises to be a festival dedicated to ecology, good music, culture and gluttony, with aperitifs in the piazzas based on 0 km products and organic wines. Absolutely not to be missed!

Roero Music Fest

From 4 to 11 July the spotlight will be on Santa Vittoria d’Alba for an international festival, where young people will have a chance to get up on stage.

The Roero Music Fest this year will be held in both the Confraternita amphitheater in Santa Vittoria d’Alba and the municipality of Priocca, to celebrate the union of towns, villages, cultures and all the local culinary delicacies.

Numerous artists will be performing, including the famous American jazz musician Nate Birkey, the singer-songwriter Veronica Farnararo and the Cosentino-Marcellin Luhtala trio.

The closure will be dedicated to Summer Camp Milleunanota, with a concert by the teachers followed by a performance by the students who participated in the summer workshops.

Monfortinjazz

This is an event that doesn’t need much of an introduction. The Monfortinjazz is a must whether you’re a music fan or not. The event will be held in the beautiful and natural Horszowsky di Monforte d’Alba amphitheater.

This edition once again promises to be a great success.

Starting from July 10 until August 2;  there will be five captivating evenings with guests such as:

• Los Lobos, a rock band influenced by country, folk, R & B, capable of mixing the Spanish and Mexican culture, that gave us unforgettable songs like the famous cover of La Bamba
• Branford Marsalis, the award-winning jazz quartet; musician, composer, conductor and US teacher
• Francesco De Gregori along with his “beautiful band”  will be playing his latest double album on the Vivavoce Tour; 28 arrangements and his extraordinary repertoire.
• Kings of Convenience, the Norwegian underground duo inspired by Simon & Garfunkel will be performing an extraordinary show that alternates intricate melodies with moments of narrative and discussion with the artists
• Raphael Gualazzi will be closing the festival with an overwhelming and dynamic show, offering great international jazz classics that made music history.

Alba music festival

In conjunction with Monfortinjazz, some of the most enchanting places in the Langhe will become the stage for national and international artists at the Alba Music Festival – Sounds from the Langhe and Roero Hills.

A mix of music, emotions, culture and local traditions that will take you on a “journey amongst the charm of these local places and the magic of music.” A tribute to classical music offering 22, completely free, concerts.

An exceptional itinerary that starts from the magnificent gardens of the Castello Reale di Verduno, which then goes through the Bosco di Monte Rotondo a Torresina, and then on to ancient villages, wine cellars and ends in Alba.

Among the artists we’ll find: the Brass Quintet of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, the Italian Female Orchestra conducted by Roberto Giuffré performing the eight seasons of Vivaldi and Piazzolla, the Stanford Jazz Orchestra from the prestigious Stanford University, the French Quintet-Oxygène, Cuartet representing the Americas, Silvano Minella performing Mozart 2-3-4 and lots, lots more. A rich program to say the least, that you can read about in detail here.

Festival Contro

We conclude our review of the summer 2015 musical events with the Festival Contro in Castagnole delle Lanze. Here’s a video of last year’s edition to give you an idea of what to expect!

From August 22 to September 1, great artists will perform on the stage set in Piazza San Bartolomeo. Let’s have a look at the most important ones: we start with the famous Negrita, followed by the ever pleasant Demo Morselli and Marcello*; and get ready to let loose with the rhythms of Lou Dalfin* and crazy rap by Moreno*.

Closing the event will be the Nomadi and finally, the remarkable Franco Battiato. To top off this great music there will be cultural and food and wine events, giving you the opportunity to taste local specialties, watch fireworks and participate in other exciting initiatives.

In short, there’s something in store for everyone this summer. You can check out your favorite stars, discover new artists and perhaps be enthralled by music that is entirely new to you. For those of you who’d like some ideas on how to occupy the afternoons waiting for the concerts, we suggest you check out this article written specifically for the Collisioni event!

Have a great summer! Stay tuned!

* free entry