Those who know more about him, whose memories still reverberate from the echoes of a certain Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare, the group which Roberto De Simone and a handful of young, enthusiastic musicians founded in 1967, will have been waiting for the first new album containing works of De Simone since 1978 with anticipation.

Those who don’t know him yet have to venture on his compositions and contemporary, urbane arrange-ments of traditional music from Campania, the re-gion whose capital, Naples, forms the central point of attraction and the most mysterious allegory; on the electrifying performance of his works by Media Aetas, a musical ensemble made up of actor-singers trained by De Simone and brilliant instrumentalists, equally at home with traditional music, classical or jazz; and on a composer, who categorically refuses to make any kind of concession which would blunt his performances or make his work more pleasant in favour of wider circulation by the media.

Now, what does it mean, these travelling Turks? Has the time now come, as the western arrogance of exploitation is forced to settle its account with the Orient, with the Islamic world, with Africa, which have been the victims of violence and egotistical and cynical market structures for centuries? Apart from that, hasn’t the term Turchi / Turks always symbo-lised a different nature, an obscure fear of a mixed, irregular rhythm, an unfamiliar heart, which is unsettling for the hypocritical certainties of a Eurocentric culture?

Li Turchi viaggiano is an invitation to the dance of the spirits, conjuring up the Orient hidden deep within our hearts, a ritual that drives out the fears and stultification, at least for the time it lasts.

Tracks (listen to highlighted tracks):

• 1. Soricillo 04:13
• 2. Fatte li fatte tuoie 04:19
• 3. Si li ffemmene 04:28
• 4. Li Turchi viaggiano 10:30
• 5. Marinaresca 04:21
• 6. Nun vedarraggio maie /
• Ortolano 07:50
• 7. Si te credisse 03:28
• 8. Tarantella di San Michele 09:42
• 9. Alli quatt’ore / Soi ciardine 07:13
• 10. Janni dell’uorto /
• Tu pur te pienzi 06:33
• 11. Italiella 05:39
• 12. Ninna nanna per Taniello 03:48