Naples is the only major city in the world associated with a musical genre : Neapolitan music. A musical genre recognized and sung throughout the world. Baritones and sopranos from every corner of the globe include Neapolitan songs in their training and most important performances. But why has Neapolitan song been—and continues to be—so successful? The reasons are many and can all be traced back to its history.

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Sirens and Fairies: The Song of Seduction

While rhythm and song are inherent in every people, it is only after a long process of legitimation and recognition that they become music. In particular, Neapolitan song finds its origins in myth and seductive song . The siren Partenope , who "founded" the city of Naples from the Megaride rock, was succeeded by the so-called "fairies of Vomero," the washerwomen of the 300th century. Beautiful women who intrigued men with their sensuality and beautiful singing. Early in the morning, they intoned a veritable prayer to the sun. "Jesc sole/nun te fa suspirà" is considered the oldest form of Neapolitan folk song. Furthermore, the song served the group of washerwomen to keep each other company and mark the workday.

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From a social perspective , however, it was in 1200, with Frederick II and the establishment of the university of the same name, that Neapolitan song was effectively born. With the university, he attracted all kinds of artists from every corner of Europe. The dialogue between different ideas and genres may have laid the foundation for the birth of Neapolitan song.

Neapolitan song from the 400th to the 600th century

In the 15th century, Alfonso of Aragon elevated the Neapolitan dialect to the language of the kingdom . This contributed enormously to the valorization of native artistic works. However, while strains like strambotti and sonnets delighted the aristocracy, spontaneous and visceral singing was the favorite of the Neapolitan people. This characteristic has not been lost and, in fact, became the distinguishing feature of Neapolitan song. In fact, in the 16th century, the first villanelles were born, songs with amorous and bucolic themes for one or more voices. They were enormously successful at the time, so much so that they reached the various courts of Italy and Europe. Also in this century, the city of Naples saw the opening of four conservatories, which paved the way for the development of local musical life.

A turning point came in the 600th century. A dark century for the city (the eruption of Vesuvius, economic crisis, and plague), Naples found the strength to get back on its feet. From a cultural perspective, the Neapolitan Baroque was born in the second half of the century. The villanella gave way to the madrigal, a composition of pastoral inspiration, often intended to express a gallant homage. An example of this genre is "fenesta ca lucive ," the agonizing separation from the beloved, which dates back to the 600th century but was published in 1842 by Girard Editions as the work of Guglielmo Cottrau.

Neapolitan song from the 700th to the 800th century

It was in the 700th century with Alessandro Scarlatti that the Neapolitan school of music was born . This school had important and authoritative exponents including Domenico Cimarosa, Francesco Provenzale, Francesco Durante, Francesco Feo, Nicola Porpora, Niccolò Jommelli, Gaetano Greco, and Domenico Scarlatti. The tarantella was introduced with its frenetic rhythms. Songs such as Michelemmà , published in 1700 in a collection by Salvator Rosa, palombella zompa e vola , o' guarracino , cicerenella tiene tiene , and many others, were born. However, it was in the 1800th century that Naples experienced a true explosion of its typical singing.

Naples, 1700

What became characteristic of the period was improvisation: the artist was a true showman who didn't prepare his songs but invented them on the spot. These were true "off-the-cuff" songs that didn't belong to anyone, nor were they exclusive to any one social class. Each performance was unique. Precisely for this reason, audiences could vary: the artist could perform in the squares for the masses or in the most refined salons. During this period, performances of the " a fronna ' limon e" song, typical of the Giugliano hinterland, a peasant song used by market vendors, were born. At the same time, itinerant musicians, known as posteggiatori, sold copielle, or sheets of paper with the lyrics of the song, which became the main vehicle for spreading Neapolitan songs.

7 September 1835

An important date is September 7, 1835, conventionally considered the moment when popular music became the defining genre of singer-songwriter music. Raffaele Sacco, an optician from Spaccanapoli, created a song that would soon become a huge success: Te voglio bene assaje . 180.000 copies of this song were sold, even during the Piedigrotta festival, captivating many publishers. From the end of the 19th century until the first half of the 20th century, Neapolitan song enjoyed its golden age. The Piedigrotta festival was the launching pad for the best songwriters and singers of the time, including Salvatore Di Giacomo, Libero Bovio, Ernesto Murolo, and Ferdinando Russo. Songs such as " Funiculì funiculà , " "era de maggio , " " marechiare , " "'o sole mio ," and "maria marì" soon became cornerstones of Neapolitan song.

The 900th century: internationalization

Core 'ngrato, guapparia, 'o surdat 'nnammurato , reginella are songs from the early twentieth century that reflect the historical period: the First World War. Just as tammurriata nera, malafemmena by Totò, 'o sarracino by Renato Carosone reflect the Second World War and the difficult post-war years that followed. All are musical testimonies and narratives not only of everyday life but of the historical period in which we lived. The viscerality and sentiment , which have never abandoned Neapolitan song, have made it well-prepared for global diffusion. Therefore, beyond the potential of the media and the recording industry, Neapolitan song is already porous in itself, that is, susceptible to contamination.

Neapolitan song today

If Neapolitan song is inherently "porous," then its contemporary interpretation should come as no surprise. Rap, techno, African; different styles and sounds to tell the story of Naples and the Neapolitans. But also a return to bel canto and singer-songwriter music. Nino D'Angelo, Massimo Rainieri, Pino Daniele, Gigi D'Alessio, and the younger artists Clementino and Rocco Hunt. Furthermore, to underscore the use of music to represent Neapolitan identity as well as artistic experimentation, it's important to highlight the emerging voices of the current Neapolitan urban scene: LIBERATO, DADA', Luchè, CoCo, MV Killa, Geolier, Lele Blade, Vale Lambo, and Yung Snapp.

Bibliography

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