Recorded in 1954 by Alan Lomax

Notes by Edward Neill, and Goffredo Plastino, incorporating original notes by Alan Lomax 

Recorded in the Ritrovo dei Facchini and Bar Tugni, Genoese longshoremen in their cups effortlessly sing in the thrilling, full-throated, multi-parted style known as trallalero, a specialized outgrowth of North Italian polyphony found only in Genoa and along the mountainous coast of Liguria. The parts, demonstrated on this disc, are falsetto, tenor, chitarra (“guitar”), baritone, and bass. Alan Lomax considered the trallalero singers “the most perfect choristers in Western Europe.”

“The trallalero tradition indeed finds a place among the most interesting examples of organized vocal sounds both in Europe and around the Mediterranean basin.” —Roberto Catalano

“I would recommend The Trallaleri of Genoa to absolutely everyone.” —Musical Traditions