“Ocarina Mundial”

Simone Grassi and Francesco Coiro present the results of their research on the history and global spread of the ocarina: an adventurous and compelling story, written by two true sons of Budrio.

Summary

Born from a chance encounter with a Portuguese instrument maker during the 2019 International Festival, this research traces the ocarina’s journey in Portugal and Brazil, just a few years after its invention at the end of the 19th century. Following the European tour of the first ocarina group from Budrio, ‘I Montanari dell’Appennino’, which began in 1873, there was widespread interest in this new instrument abroad. Portugal was one of the countries most captivated by the ocarina, inspiring the creation of numerous ocarina groups across the country. Among them, the “Sociedade de Concertos de Ocarinas” became the most famous, reproducing the repertoire and costumes of the original Budrio septet. Its success was so great that it helped spread the ocarina craze overseas, to Brazil, where other groups were formed, influenced by Budrio and “filtered” through the Portuguese lens.

This study is the first to map the ocarina groups that emerged in Portugal and Brazil at the end of the 19th century. It has uncovered names of musicians, performances, and forgotten repertoires, shedding light on the innovation of these septets. As a result, the historiographical perspective on Budrio has been redefined.