Italian and Italian American Folk Music Recordings

Siporin rightly notes that Italian Americans as such were not part of my intended audience. It may have been a mistake. record does include material they might be interested in: a ballad on Sacco and Vanzetti, a couple of references to emigration, a song abut a Mafia murder. Indeed-why is it that, on the evidence of standard collections of Italian American music, one might suspect that Mafia never existed and Sacco and Vanzetti never lived (and died)? Finally-Siporin mentions Assuntino's topical song The American Bases. record's real failure lies in the fact that, although one of its aims was to stir opposition to American military bases on our territory, since then we have been graced with a nuclear missile base in Sicily and a nuclear submarine base off Sardinia. bright side is that peace movements have created a few songs about these additions to our security. Whether these be folk songs or not is a fit topic for further debate

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