On un-silencing voices: tarantismo and the gendered heritage of Apulia

Abstract

ABSTRACT How do we conceptualize women’s contributions to intangible cultural heritage in patriarchal societies? This article adds perspective to this question by examining the relationship of women’s voices to Southern Italian culture through the lens of the music and dance-based re-enactments of tarantismo. Though scholars have discussed this ritual for centuries, the vocal contributions of the tarantate—the women at the centre of the ceremony—are often undervalued in favour of more tangible objects and compositions, such as the surrounding instruments and traditional music repertoire. However, a more careful exploration of the ritual reveals the participation and importance of the tarantate to be more complex. Drawing on historical and ethnographic research from the province of Lecce, this article demonstrates that the female voice is an essential component to the soundscape of tarantismo and is central to concepts of heritage and identity for the people of Apulia.