Posts Tagged ‘writing’
The Black Madonna Celebrated
by Nancy Cohen-koan
The Black Madonna is an icon of worship that can be traced back to pagan, pre – Christian times. She represents devotion to the Earth Mother, the African Goddess and to a time when people understood God to be female as well as Black. She is still revered in Italy and in New York there were no less than three churches that held worship for the Black Madonna in the East Village.
I.J. Isola, writing for the W.P.A. n 1936, noted: “The New York Black Madonna is credited by believers, with possessing the miraculous curative powers of the original (Sicily and other parts of Italy, Ethiopia, etc.), as is attested by the many votive offerings at her shrine.” Apparently, she could cure many of the parts of the body including arms, legs and breasts. Since pre-Christian times she has been the protector of gays, transgender and LGBTQ+ people, known as Femminielli in the Neapolitan Culture and Galli in Rome(where they were priests of the Phrygian goddess Cybele, or Magna Mater
Alessandra Belloni, a native Roman, studied in New York and realized that her true calling was honoring the Black Madonna through her love of Italian folk music. She learned the ancient tammorriata tradition of the Earth goddess and for 35 years has traveled the globe performing and doing research in this ancient form of empowerment. Along with her partner and fellow musician John T. La Barbera, they create a musical dance installation, as much art as sacred healing. I Giullari di Piazza, founded in 1980, specializes in medieval pilgrimage songs, Southern Italian tarantellas and devotional chants with ritual drumming. This concert celebrates the 45th anniversary of the group’s founding and features selections from its original opera, “Voyage of the Black Madonna,” which was a watershed creation for the company.
I was familiar with Alessandra before the show after watching a PBS program about buying houses in Italy, PBS series “Dream of Italy. She has a devoted following there and by the looks of the audience at St. John the Divine last Friday, one here as well. I saw many women signing up for her goddess -type classes; she infuses spirit and beauty and recognition of the female spirit. What could be bad?
In Alessandra’s show Mystic Rhythms & Sacred Chants for Seven Black Madonnas from Italy to Spain, she and her glorious troupe explore the different incarnations of the Black Madonna with ancient music, dance and stilt performance. It is a festive experience that recalls medieval street theatre, intoxicating and beautiful.
Her voice is deep and soulful and her percussion skills amazing… for this occasion, Giovannangelo de Gennaro from Puglia brought his magnificent voice… a voice perfectly suited for the wonderful acoustics of the chapel in St. John the Divine.
Graceful dancers performed wearing elaborate costumes… characters ranging from virginal maidens to the goddess who can control snakes…dancing with a real one. The Sun God on stilts moved through them, transporting all of us to another time where nature was revered and female power honored.
John la Barbera introduced a song which is based on pre-Christian notations of a melody found in Greece. He expanded on the tune and it was beautiful not only for his arrangement, but the knowledge that its origins are so ancient and yet feels so contemporary.
This magical show is a shoe in for Earth Day performances and must be included in environmental events that remind us of the power of nature and our requirement to love her and be grateful for her bounteous gifts.
Other musicians include: Mara Gerety (vocals & violin), Christa Patton(harp, oboe & recorder) and dancers, Francesco Silvano, Amaraand Mark Mindek (stilt dancer in the role of the Poet Virgil).
The troupe spends part of their time in New Jersey and Alessandra will be offering classes to the fortunate in New Jersey.
As for me, I’m dreaming to buy a place in Puglia and stay as close to the world that honors such a beautiful tradition.
For more information and future performance dates: http://www.alessandrabelloni.com
all photos by N. Cohen-koan
Jerry Tallmer, Adieu
Despite the frigid temperatures, everything was war
m and witty at Theater for the New City’s beautiful send off to long time theatre critic Jerry Tallmer. Crystal Field, head honcho of the theatre opened up the evening of ruminations about this talented critic , one who was first to encourage the works of the radically different playwrights like Jean Genet, Brecht, Edwar Albee, Tom Stoppard and Sam Shepherd. God, he even created the Obies.
Ed Fancher, the remaining living founder of The Village Voice, gave a detailed history of the early days of the Voice and Tallmer’s contributions not only as writer, but delivery man. When Norman Mailer’s aggressive style with the news vendors proved too rough, Tallmer was the one to step in. He was the only one who really knew how to run a paper from his Dartmouth days and so it was left to him to drop off papers and oversee production with a printer in New Jersey every week.
Fancher described a much different Village with a sensibility the newbies can only envy. When the Voice needed to postdate pay checks by a few days, a local liquor shop offered to give the staff their salaries right on Friday; the owner confident that at least some of the writers have been known to drink a little…
It was a magical New York, fresh out of the locked up fifties and bursting with energy. When Billie Holiday was asked to perform for a benefit for The Voice, it was Tallmer who drove to Philadelphia, found a pretty juiced up Holiday, struggled in traffic and brought her to the show on time.
Baby Jane Dexter and pianist Steve Ross, two performers who were given the green light from Mr. Tallmer’s pen, performed a couple of songs, Dexter’s voice deep, rich and jazzy, and Ross, giving an old lower East Sider Irving Berlin , a chance to Put on the Ritz.
Another Jerry, Stiller, regaled the crowd with adorable anecdotes about his early days in Shakespeare, screamingly funny while his daughter Amy, read one of Tallmer’s reviews of her father’s performance, memorable primarily for the great acting of his scene partner, a dog.
From his NY Post days, we heard from journalist Diana Maychick who like many of the writers suggested that Tallmer’s erudition and generosity made for a very good mentor, indeed. Austin Pendleton was thrilled when he got a decent review, but even happier when Tallmer, who had become a friend, used to talk recipes with Austin’s wife, a Greek who knew something more than moussaka. I never quite got whether Tallmer cooked or not, but he did seem to have a refined palette and palate
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Two things I learned was that Tallmer was let go from the Post when he supported one of the newspaper unions’ strike. He had sailed through the Murdoch takeover, but showed true courage to given the publishing climate. Also, he was an air witness to one of the bombings of Nagasaki; surely something like that must have affected him in the way Kurt Vonngegut’s creative life was intensified by the destruction of Dresden.
Someone read a piece Tallmer wrote about Norman Mailer’s Town Hall debate with Jill Johnston and Germaine Greer. I’ve seen the film and everyone should read the article for themselves, as it speaks so much to the time of early feminism and sixties happenings.
Many references were made to the love of his life Frances Martin. She modestly only took a bow when heckled to do so and one can understand why this aesthetic man was so devoted to the lovely, Flamenco dancer.
The last speaker Lincoln Anderson of the Villager where Tallmer spent some of his third act was bubbling with the enthusiasm of a writer who most likely should have lived in the sixties, but does his best now to keep the political beat happening at this downtown rag. Like everyone, he was gracious in his admiration.
We’ve lost three journalists just this month: Bob Simon, Dave Carr and now Jerry Tallmer. Let’s hope there are equally inspired writers, women and men, ready to step into their shoes and media worthy of their talents.
The evening’s speakers: Crystal Field, Steve Ross & Baby Jane Dexter, Ed Fancher, abbey Tallmer, Austin Pendleton, Diana Maychick, Jonathan Slaff, Mario Fratti, John Sutter, Bill Ervolino and Lincoln Anderson.
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Letters read from Tom Stoppard, Terrence McNally, Merle Debuskey and Jules Feiffer. Photo courtesy of Rena Cohen
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