Granai della Memoria

Ezio Cuppone, born in 1942, spent his early childhood in Nardò, in the heart of a poor Puglia, stricken by tuberculosis but rich in traditions and folklore. In Nardò, he experienced the hardships of working in the fields, picking tobacco, but also had the opportunity to meet figures such as Ernesto de Martino and Luigi Stìfani, the barber-musician, one of the most important violinists and therapists of the rituals related to Salento's tarantism, one of the most significant phenomena in Italian folk anthropology.

His father, after fighting in Spain in the Duce's army in support of Franco, embraced socialist ideas and was forced to flee from a conservative Nardò, still heavily influenced by fascism and its power structures. The family moved to Cusano Milanino, where they found a more progressive and open environment. Here, gradually, Ezio's passion for music was born. Away from his father's eyes, he began to take his first steps as a musician in the cold cellar at home, playing a guitar bought by his mother.

After debuting in a light music group, Cuppone discovered, thanks to Carmen Pelucchi, the scene of Milanese folk music, coming into contact with "sacred monsters" like Gianni Bosio and Ivan Della Mea. However, it was with Dario Fo's show "Ci ragiono e canto" that he experienced a true revelation for this musical genre. Soon, his first collaborations emerged, the most notable being with Il Nuovo Canzoniere Italiano, for the production of "Il Bosco degli Alberi," a double album and a show centered on Italian folk music.

The narrative continues with a rich repertoire of events involving leading figures from the Italian musical and cultural scene, with whom Ezio built fruitful partnerships and collaborations. Among these, the most notable is the project of the Coro Ingrato of Milan, founded on May 24, 2000, in San Vincenzo, Toscana.