Rhythm is the Cure:

As a soloist:

RHYTHM IS THE CURE is a fiery "percussive journey" through the south of Italy exploring magic rituals, tarantellas used as music therapy and healing dance of purification, processional healing chants in honor of the Black Madonna, lullabies, women work chants and love laments. The repertoire is specifically arranged for frame drums, tambourines and a variety of percussion instruments. As a duo, it also features drum solos as well as drumming duets that add color to the authentic Southern Italian rhythms. Alessandra has been touring with this unique concert everywhere, and actually have performed with different percussionists, and everywhere we go we receive a great response from the audience and the press.

Usually the concert is in two acts, 45 minutes each, and it ends with the powerful healing trance dance called Pizzica Tarantata, used to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula, (actually a mental disorder that afflicted mainly women) which originated the tarantella.


One version as duo:

The concert entitled "RHYTHM IS THE CURE" featuring a variety of frame drums, tambourines, combined with singing and dancing. can be presented either as a soloist or together with percussionist Mauro Refosco..

This fiery "percussive journey" through the south of Italy explores magic rituals, Southern Italian healing chants and drumming for the Black Madonna, women work chants & haunting lullabies, love laments. The highlight of the concert is the authentic tarantella (a vary fast 6/8 rhythm known as Pizzica Tarantata) which originated as a trance healing dance to cure mainly women afflicted by the mythical bite of the tarantula (It was actually a mental disorder that started usually during the time of the Summer Solstice) . The origins of the tarantella as music & dance therapy is not known but there is a lot of interest in this subject. This dance from Puglia originated from the ancient Greek rites that women performed in a collective euphoria in Honor of the God Dionysus.

RHYTHM IS THE CURE as a duo also features drum solos by Alessandra and Mauro Refosco, drumming duets, as Mauro Refosco adds different colors to the authentic Southern Italian Rhythms, and it also allows her to dance both the tammorriata and the tarantella.

Other version as duo:

The concert titled Rhythm is the Cure, presented as a soloist or in a duo with the great percussionist Glen Velez, playing a variety of world percussion instruments.

This fiery "percussive journey" through the South of Italy explores magic rituals, tarantellas used as music therapy and exorcism, songs in honor of the Black Madonna, lullabies, love ballads, work chants and protest songs specifically arranged for frame drums and a variety of tambourines. It also features drum solos by Glen Velez, featuring music from his last CD Rhythm of the Chakras, as well as drumming duets that add color to the authentic Southern Italian rhythms.

She and Glen have been touring with this unique concert and everywhere we go we receive a great response from the audience and the press. She is the only woman in America (and in Italy) who uses this powerful tambourine style combined with the singing and dancing, and am very proud to be able to bring this ancient tradition back to life. In New York, Alessandra is Artist in Residence in one of most amazing places, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the largest Gothic Cathedral n the World, where she teaches and performs.

For bookings email to: abelloni@aol.com