The
Tarantella Dance music is probably the most recognized
song of all the Italian folklore music. It literally
means "tarantula" because the dance is
done by everyone in a great big circle going clockwise,
until the music in the set changes, becomes faster,
then they quickly change the direction to counterclockwise,
this continues several times and is fun to see who
keeps up. You can see this dance at authentic Italian
weddings, is often the theme song of many restaurants
and pizzerias, can even be heard in The Godfather
movie and the CBS sitcom "That's Life".
Generally played with a strong mandolin
(Italian guitar) presence, each region has its own
version. For example the most popular version you
will undoubtedly hear most frequently is the Napoletana
verson (that from the region of Naples). Click the
play button below to listen to it now!