Zampogna is a general name for a type of Italian musical instrument called double-chantered bagpipes. These instruments are found in areas of Latium, a region in Italy. The tradition of playing zampogna is now most closely connected to Christmas celebrations. A well-known Italian Christmas song, "Tu scendi dalle stelle," was inspired by traditional zampogna music. Recently, there has been a growing interest in using the instrument for non-religious purposes, such as performances at folk music festivals. Italian music groups often play zampogna during December events.

Etymology

The word zampogna comes from the Latin word symphonia. It is related to the Greek word sumphōnía (συμφωνία), which means "sounds that are in harmony or played together" (from syn- meaning "with, together" and phōnḗ meaning "sound"). This word was later used to describe a type of bagpipe. It is also related to other words, such as the Greek tsampouna, which is the name for a bagpipe from a Greek island (a word that was borrowed again from zampogna). In Romanian, the word cimpoi means "symphony" or "many sounds played together." In Georgian, the word is čiboni, and in Spanish, it is zampoña, which refers to the Andean pan pipes.

Construction

All chanters and drones are attached to a single round piece of wood that the bag is connected to. Each chanter is tuned differently based on the tradition it represents, and there are many types. Usually, the double-reeded versions have a soprano chanter on the right and a bass chanter on the left, called ritta and manga (meaning "right" and "left") in the tradition of Southern Latium. These instruments often include an alto drone, called bordone, but sometimes have up to three drones tuned above and below the main note. In the Marches tradition, no drones are used at all. Single-reed instruments include the surdullina from the Province of Cosenza and Catanzaro, and the ciaramella or ciaramedda from Messina and Catania in Sicily, as well as Southern Calabria. The surdullina is a short instrument used mainly for playing tarantellas, while the ciaramedda can play all traditional regional melodies.

Traditional reeds are made from stalks of the Giant Reed, Arundo donax, known as "canna marina" in Italian. Double-reed instruments may also be made from plastic. Single-reed instruments are made from a single piece of cane.

Traditionally, the bags are made from goat hides taken from slaughtered animals in one piece. The hides are cured, turned inside out, and tied off near the rear legs. One front leg holds the blow pipe with a simple leather valve (soffietto), and the other is tied off. The round piece where chanters and drones are attached fits into the neck of the skin. The hair is left on the inside of the bag (otre). Today, some pipers use synthetic materials like rubber inner tubes or wintex covered in artificial fleece instead of traditional goat or sheep hide. This practice is common among pipers from Scapoli in the Molise region and Atina in Latium.

Musical traditions

The double reed version of the zampogna is usually played with a piffero, which is also called biffera in Lazio or ciaramella or pipita in other areas. The piffero plays the melody, while the zampogna adds chords, rhythmic patterns, or a bass line and soprano harmony to support the music. This tradition includes parts of Central Italy, such as Latium, southern Abruzzo, and Molise, as well as areas in southern Basilicata (Pollino), nearby regions of Calabria, and some places in Sicily like Syracuse and Palermo.

Single reed versions are played alone in Calabria, such as the surdullina (from Cosenza) and the surdullina albanese, which has a closed chanter. In Sicily, the ciaramedda or ciaramella is used in areas like Catania, Messina, and Reggio Calabria. The size of the pipes varies greatly, from very short (like the surdullina) to nearly two meters long, such as those found in the cathedral of Monreale in Palermo. Pipes of all sizes in between are also used.

These instruments are related to the Sardinian launeddas, a single reed instrument with three pipes: two chanters and one drone. The launeddas is played using circular breathing, a technique where the player breathes in through the nose while blowing through the mouth.

History

• There is a museum that displays bagpipes called the Museo della Zampogna in Scapoli, Molise.
• In 2010, a long movie about the zampogna was published called "Zampogna: The Soul of Southern Italy."