When we think about the jew’s harp our minds will probably go to Sicily and some Mediterranean ambiance, but this folk instrument, with a strong nomadic character, is actually one of the most widespread in the whole world.
Many will be surprised to know that Northern Italy played a very important role in the history of the instrument. In fact for at least four centuries the “ribeba” (that’s the local dialectal name of the jew’s harp) has been forged in huge numbers in some hamlets of a high alpine
valley in Piedmont, Valsesia, and then exported (and played) all over the world. Forty years after the first researches and publications, a new book sheds some more light on this often overlooked history with the help of a great variety of both historical and ethnographic sources . One of the authors, Alessandro Zolt, ethnomusicologist and musician, will present the book “La ribeba in Valsesia. In the European history of the jew’s harp” with the help of the musical group Tribeba.

Artists:
Alessandro Zolt: lecturer, jew’s harps, flutes
Guido Antoniotti: jew’s harps, flutes
Massimo Losito: accordion