ETHNOMUSICAL ARCHIVE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
The Ethnomusical Archive of the Mediterranean was founded in 2003 (17 February) when CIDIM acquired the Sicilian Ethnophonic Archive of CIMS (Centre of Sicilian Music Initiatives).
Dott. Mauro Geraci (anthropological culture researcher of Messina University) was the expert estimator of a collection which became the most extensive and representative centre of sound and visual documentation of traditional oral music and a fundamental reference point for those studying the multiple poetic, dance and musical aspects of Sicilian folk culture.
CIDIM decided to share management of the Archive with Folkstudio of Palermo (historic association of traditional popular customs established at the beginning of the Seventies with the collaboration of “Amici della Musica” Palermo) for the safeguarding and valorization of the noteworthy tape-recordings and videographic materials.
The wealth of ethnological documentation catalogued and preserved at the Archive is the result of numerous research campaigns carried out with the valuable cooperation of researchers from the Department of Cultural Assets of Palermo University.
The Archive initiated digitization of the material, filing the same and revising the previously duplicated entries; it also acquires new ethnomusicological material and organizes the Festival of Traditional Music.
The following material was added recently to the two extensive collections of Folkstudio and CIDIM:
- the rich tape and audiovisual patrimony of the Department of Cultural Assets of Palermo University;
- material of ethnomusicological interest in the possession of the Association for the Preservation of Popular Traditions – International “Antonio Pasqualino” Museum of Puppets, “Michele Palminteri” Cultural Association and several important private collections.
