Vincenzo Di Sanzo: musician and maker of bagpipes and surdulines

The Pollino region is of paramount importance to the musical traditions of our country, offering extraordinary community experiences in which highly skilled musician-instrument makers have kept ancient skills alive.

San Paolo has always been a centre of excellence for the tradition of the zampogna and the surdulina, not only for the refined techniques used in making the instruments but also for the rich tradition of musical repertoires.

The town, which has dedicated an exhibition space to this important history, boasted 7 player-makers in the 19th century and as many as 15 in the 20th century, confirming its widely recognised central role. 

Following in this illustrious tradition is Vincenzo Di Sanzo, the young musician and maker who has returned to San Paolo Albanese after a long spell in Rome and abroad. It is he who brings the narrow streets of San Paolo to life with his music and the rhythm of the carving with which he crafts precious instruments, in the street of the Museum of Arbëreshë Culture, in a space that the local council has made available for this important human and cultural endeavour. After all, as the ethnomusicologist Nicola Scaldaferri has argued, in such contexts ‘the survival of an instrument depends on practice and support for the people’.

“My passion for these instruments and for my country’s traditions is what brought me back to São Paulo.”
Vincenzo Di Sanzo

Vincenzo’s work keeps alive the memory of an ancient art form and a rich musical heritage, closely linked to the history of the Arbëreshë community, whilst at the same time confirming a growing interest in these instruments, particularly amongst the younger generation. Indeed, many young people sign up for the workshops held by Vincenzo throughout the year and during the Radici Festival, of which he is the artistic director and tireless organiser.