Marranzano or Scacciapensieri

�il marranzano tristemente vibra

nella gola del carraio che risale

il colle nitido di luna, lento

tra il murmure d�ulivi saraceni�

This is an excerpt from the famous poetry by Salvatore Quasimodo � strada di

Agrigentum, 1938, where Quasimodo nostalgically evokes some images of his Sicily
almost to resist, through memory, the forced away from his land.

Salvatore Quasimodo evokes a man playing a marranzano, the typical Sicilian musical
instrument, which over time has accompanied folk songs.

I too, if I think of an image of Sicily, when they are away from home, despite the
Sicilian folklore is impressive, fantastic and rich, I think the marranzano.

Although I�ve done a lot of research, I did not understand the exact origins of
this musical instrument . . .

During the centuries, in Sicily, there have been a multitude of civilizations, each
with a typical folk music. For this reason, it is difficult to trace the origins.

The marranzano is assumed to have originated in the Arab culture.

But the most distant marranzano, however, was made from a single piece of bamboo,
where the structure is cut out the sound tab.

Even today there are still so in the Pacific Islands (Polynesia, Micronesia and
Melanesia)

New Guinea, the marranzano is considered sacred and is even used as a ceremonial
instrument played exclusively by men during religious events.

The �modern� form, was created around 1350 between Europe and India.

In Italy, where many believe to have its origins, the marranzano came just in the
nineteenth century.

In Sicily, the name changes from city to city�

Mariolu in Palermo, maraini in Catania, Agrigento ngannalarruni the harp belongs to

the family of idiophones plucked string and consists of a metal blade fixed on an
iron frame. The sound, very distinctive, is generated by the vibration of the blade
and you can change the movement of the lips, cheeks and oral cavity.

The sound is buzzing, archaic, basically monotone (in the sense of the only �basic
note�).

Unfortunately the music generated by the marranzano was in time associated with the
local criminals, � also for the combination made as part of some very famous
movies, and this reputation has led to degrade the true cultural value of the
instrument which now seems to be relegated to category of the typical souvenirs,
also because of the almost total disappearance of the ancient craftsmen who
produced quality tools.

The friscalettu
The friscalettu (also called fr�utu, fischiettu, frischiettu or fara�tu, according
to dimension) is a woodwind musical instrument of greek origin, made with cane
mediterranean. During construction, the plant is cut cane knots before and after
the two nodes, so as to give life to 'mouth and the closure of part or' culazza
'part, the part is made with a wood dell'imboccatura other than cane, is often used
pine. On average friscalettu has a length of 12/30 cm and a diameter of 10/20 mm.
In what is chosen as above, are made for the entire length of the barrel, seven
holes, while the bottom two holes, and a third hole sfiatoper sound, apart from
'mouth. There are two types of friscalettu, the one in C and one in La, the former
has a length between twelve and twenty centimeters, while the second is to blow up
more.

The jug
The jug, also called 'bummulu' was born in Sicily to carry water. Because of the
unusual shape and the material made of clay or clay in kilns at high temperatures,
it was adapted, perhaps accidentally, and as a means, in fact, blowing from the
dell'imboccatura appropriately, with a technical specification as if it were an
instrument wind, it comes out a sound characteristic.