Mircanti
Mimì Sterrantino and Davide Campisi are two Sicilian singer-songwriters who, after collaborating on various recording projects, decided to embark on a musical journey called the “Disàmara tour,” which took them to different cities across Italy. Just like the “disàmara,” the tour marked a new beginning, giving birth to their new recording project titled “MIRCANTI.” MIRCANTI is the Sicilian name for street vendors who sing and call out their wares in a unique manner. The album consists of 12 tracks, including some reworked pieces and some original ones, blending blues, Mediterranean ethnic sounds, and street music influences.
Davide Campisi began studying drums at the age of 16 and has spent 15 years studying the rhythms and techniques of traditional southern Italian frame drums. From his early encounters with the instrument, he collaborated with various nationally renowned musicians. Today, he continues his research into the ancestral rhythms of the Sicilian tradition, experimenting with new and contemporary sound forms and expressive techniques on his frame drums. His innovations have been featured in performances with the ethnic music group “I Petri Ca Addumunu,” of which he was a founding member, as well as in his solo work and various other musical projects in which he plays as a percussionist. In the past four years, he has collaborated with various artists, contributing to the production of musical and audiovisual works as a percussionist and composer. In 2015, he introduced his solo musical project titled “BADR” (full moon) to theaters and squares, reaching the finals of the May 1st Concert in Rome, where he was among the top eight finalists out of 1,500 participants. In 2017, he was a finalist for the Andrea Parodi Prize, and the same year, he released the album “Democratica.” In 2018, he won the PYR INNOVATION LAB award as a solo percussionist at the 1000 Beats festival promoted by the European Drum & Percussion Academy. In 2021, he released his solo album, “Joca.”
Domenico Sterrantino, known as Mimì, was born in January 1984 on the icy banks of a river in northern Sweden, but he moved to the warm coast of eastern Sicily in Castelmola just a few months later. From his father, a folk singer-songwriter, he absorbed a passion for music and the guitar. From his Swedish mother, he gained a cosmopolitan touch, allowing him to combine a love for the music of Sicilian folk singer-songwriters with a passion for international music. He spent hours listening to a wide range of music genres, from rock to Balkan, from folk songs to blues, from world music to Italian and American singer-songwriters. At the age of nineteen, he began composing his songs, creating a unique and original fusion of musical influences, enriching his compositions with his warm and deep voice. His songs are imbued with the spirit of protest characteristic of the best Italian singer-songwriters, the poetry of the greats, and the creative magic of a pure mind committed to exposing the issues of contemporary society and exploring fantastic worlds and adventures.
