Music of Apulia

The music of Apulia has had some glorious history as well as some very hard times. Located along the southern Adriatic, the area was part of Magna Grecia and certainly one of the centers of Ancient Greek music. And 1,000 years ago, Bari, on the coast, was a privileged sanctuary for pilgrims and Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. Yet, the only musical relic that remains from the period is the Excultet, a representation from the 11th century of two angels playing trumpets that is preserved in the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari. Later, as part of the Kingdom of Naples, Apulia produced many memorable names in music, but like elsewhere in the south, many of them gravitated to Naples, the capital of the kingdom.

Further, economic hardships in the south following the unification of Italy through much of the 20th century resulted in massive emigration, a phenomenon hardly conducive to emphasis on music and the arts. Yet, modern Apulia has shown itself to be remarkably resilient and has an active, if still struggling, musical life.