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UARAGNIAUN is the name of a group of musicians who repropose old traditional popular music from the South of Italy , in particular  songs collected in the hinterland of Puglia , the Alta Murgia area.

UARAGNIAUN is the old name of GARAGNONE which is a big  rock of the Alta Murgia.

According to an old legend , this rock was cut by the paladin Roland’s sword.

The group was founded 25 years ago by Maria Moramarco , Luigi Bolognese and Silvio Teot.

Even coming from different musical experiences they have studied mediterranean popular harmonies getting to an original musical style. Maria Moramarco  , the lead  singer of the group has made field researches and  recorded lots of old songs  handed down orally from past generations , acquiring  rare musical materials that she interprets and produces in her group performances .

She has been in contact with other researchers and popular music performers such as  Otello Profazio,Ambrogio Sparagna, Daniele Sepe, Piero Ricci. The group , together with  other musicians  has given performances in Italy and abroad . UARAGNIAUN is a group open to the collaboration of other musicians who give their musical creative contributions that  enrich the musical performances of the group .

Currently the group has got four musicians :

Maria Moramarco : the lead voice and guitar

Luigi Bolognese : guitars , mandola , bouzouki , chorus

Silvio Teot :  drums , darbuka , flute , chorus

Nico Berardi : charango , quena , reedpipes , diatonic concertina

They play Puglia folk songs, tarantelle from the Gargano , folk songs of Murgia towns , pizziche from Salento and also well known folk songs taken from Sicilia , Puglia and Basilicata traditions.

Discography:

1 -“Canzoni dell’Alta Murgia”, vinyl and  mc, Coop. Territorio & Cultura, P.1/31257, 

2 -“Uailì”, CD, Edizioni Musicali Officina & Piazza, TE13496, 1996, 

3 - “Octofolium”, CD, sound track of film “Io non ho la testa” of Michele 
       La Nubile and Ermanno Olmi, Edizioni Musicali Officina, UD01, 1998, (impossible to find);

4 - “Skuarrajazz”, CD, Felmay, fy 8008 2, 2000,

5 - “Fiorita”, CD, Edizioni Musicali Officina & Piazza, CDP03, (distributed Felmay)
 COMPILATIONS :

“Atlante di musica tradizionale, Italia 2”, Robi Droli 1997;

“The rough guide to the music of Italy”, World Music Network 2000;

“Geo World”, BMG France 2000 ;

“1799-1999 Giacobini & Sanfedisti”, Piazza Edizioni 2001;

“Ninnanni”, World Music Magazine EDT, 2000.

Concerts

they are often invited by Conservatori and Universities to held concert-lessons. The most important events they have taken part are:

- Festival del Canto Sociale, Lussemburgo, 1989.

- Festival dei Due Mari, Altomonte (Co), 1990.

- Festival Internazionale della Zampogna di Scapoli,1997.

- “Ethnos”, Festival Internazionale del Folklore e della Musica Etnica nelle Ville Vesuviane, 1997.

- Lezione-concerto alla University Club di New York, 1997.

- Rassegna “In... Canti”, Lecce.

- Premio Caravella d’Argento 1998, Teatro Abeliano Bari, a Maria Moramarco “tra le più belle voci

del canto popolare pugliese”.

- Rassegna “Gezziamoci” dell’Onix Jazz Club, 1999.

- Premio della Critica Tedesca per il CD “Skuarrajazz”, quale miglior album etnico del 2000

- Rassegna Etno al Villaggio Globale Roma, 2000.

- Festival della Cultura Arbereshe di san Paolo Albanese, 2000.

- Lezione – concerto per l’università popolare di Novigrad in Croatia, 2000.

- Festival Istria Etno Jazz di Pula, Croazia, 2000.

- Festival Popularia, Suoni e canti dai sud del mondo, Manduria (Ta), 2000.

- Rassegna Suoni e ritmi dal mondo, Campobasso, 2000.

- Lazio Folk Festival: nello spettacolo “I Mastri Cantori” di Ambrogio Sparagna, 2000.

- Lezione-concerto presso la sede della Eastern College Consortium , Bologna, 2000.

- Cantastorie di Natale spettacolo con Otello Profazio e i F.lli Mancuso, Vibo Valentia, 2000.

- La buona cena spettacolo con Ambrogio Sparagna, Bologna, 2001.

- Parco Letterario T. Fiore, Rassegna del canto sociale, Noci, 2001.

- Rassegna Sonorità di popoli, Mantova, 2001.

- Ethno Ambient Festival di Salona, Spalato (Croazia), 2001.

- World Music al Valentino, Torino, 2001.

- Festival “Nuits d’encens d’Agues-Mortes”, Francia, 2001.

- Festival “Cants et Musicas d’Aqui”, Grass, Francia 2001.

- “Itinerari Folk”, Trento - agosto 2002.

- Rassegna Internazionale “Suoni dal Mediterraneo”, Andria - agosto 2002.

- “Folk Festival Civitella Alfedena” - agosto 2002.

- Villa Lagarrina - Trento concerto per Pasqua 2003

- Rivoli- Torino: International Folkdance Festival - giugno 2003

- Salisburgo: concerto per la settimana della cultura italiana - giugno 2003

- Pescasseroli: concerto per il comune - giugno 2003

- Tricarico: concerto per il cinquantenario di Rocco Scotellaro - agosto 2003

- Rassegna Trento Estate - Mattarello agosto 2003

- Rassegna Bolbeno ( TN) -  agosto  2003

- Folk Festival Val Sarmento - Cersosimo agosto 2003

- Folk Festival di Paleariza – Bova (RC) -  agosto 2003

- Rassegna di musica popolare Foresta della Grancia - Brindisi di Montagna (PZ) - settembre 2003

- Rassegna September Tris – Nova Gorica Slovenia - settembre 2003

- Lezione concerto presso il Conservatorio di Padova - settembre 2003

- Concerto apertura stagione presso la Fontana di Avesa - settembre 2003

- Rassegna Pifferi Muse e Zampogne di Arezzo - dicembre 2003

- Festival La zampogna  XI Edizione Maranola - febbraio 2004

- Lezione-concerto presso lìOpera Universitaria di Messina -   marzo 2004

- Rassegna Arie Popolari IV Edizione Bergamo - aprile 2004

Reviews

Uaragniaun
Skuarrajazz
Dunya (www.felmay.it).
"The Puglia region of southern Italy is home to a number of roots traditions including bagpipe music and the tarantolati, a healing music centered on the figure of Saint Paul. Both these traditions as well as others are found in the music of Uaragniaun, a first class Italian roots band. The group is anchored by the vocals of Maria Moramarco, who sounds more than a little like Marta Sebestyen. Key band members also include guitarist Luigi Bolognese and darbouka player Silvio Teot. These three founded the band 18 years ago.

Like many of the European roots musicians, they have also done field research and recorded old songs that are still alive in rural areas. Some of Uaragniaun's most inventive works are modern arrangements of roots music. For example, their version of "Cantos", a worker's song from the Murgia area, is sung in a traditional monostrophic style, the way it would be song in the fields. Uaragniaun adds a haunting saxophone line by guest musician Daniele Sepe to the arrangement creating a stunning work. On another work song, "Nenia", Moramarco's vocal is recorded with a heavy reverb and colored by Silvio Teot's ominous percussion accompaniment giving the track a particularly plaintiff tone. Violin and cello lines are added to a traditional ballad "Uccelloz", the story of a young girl who is obliged to marry a wealthy old man when she is in love with a young lover.

But Uaragniaun is also comfortable performing punched up versions of traditional village songs. Whether it's a fairy tale emphasized by diatonic accordions ("Putresenella") or the killer bagpipe-led tune "Ballo di Maestro Gerardo," Uaragniaun plays all their material with an astonishing ease and skill. "

Aaron Howard – Roots World