Embark on a musical and thematic journey exploring the intricate relationship between humanity and the natural world through the evocative melodies and poignant lyrics of Sicilian artist Luciano Maio and Dieter van der Westen. In this program, we delve into the state of the Mediterranean Sea, the destructive power of nature, and the profound impact of human actions on the environment. Through a series of captivating songs such as ‘A Ballata Du Mari’ and ‘Terra Brusciata,’ Maio weaves a narrative that reflects on the beauty, challenges, and responsibilities tied to our connection with the earth and the sea.
About the artists
Luciano Maio is a musician, painter, and poet born in 1950 in Milazzo, Sicily. Maio is the founder of the Sicilian band Taberna Mylaensis. This band was established in the late 1970s, initially as a protest group, but later the band focused more on the rich and diverse Sicilian music. Over the years, an extensive repertoire of songs with Celtic, Arabic, Greek, French, Spanish, and North African influences was developed. Luciano Maio has always been the writer and inspirer of the songs of Taberna Mylaensis, a name derived from Milazzo (Mylae) where Maio was born in 1950. In his lyrics, Maio often refers to his beloved Sicily and its history, as well as to the Mediterranean Sea, nature, and the history of the Mediterranean.
Dieter van der Westen is one of the driving forces behind the Dutch-Moroccan band Kasba, with which he has achieved (inter)national success, and is a writer and composer of his own songs. In the Netherlands, he has collaborated with the Metropole Orkest, Frank Boeijen, Blof, The Lau, Eric Vloeimans, and Paul de Leeuw, among others.
