Firstly, the Four Provinces are united by a common musical tradition. Pavia, Alessandria, Genoa and Piacenza share similar territories, similar recipes, similar dialects, but even before that it was music that brought them together. Even today, it is one of the major elements that unites them, a cultural identity that has never ceased despite the difficulties in keeping local traditions alive during this era.
The agricultural and peasant population of the area‘s mountains has always made music the centrepiece of every festival. In Oltrepò Pavese there was no time for celebrations without the accompaniment of the fife and accordion. Hearing this music was synonymous with cheerfulness and also helped to mark out the periods of the year. Each anniversary was in fact linked to particular songs, just think of the Galina Grisa corresponding to the calendimaggio rites. In Oltrepò it is Romagnese that has preserved this tradition the longest, offering a cycle of events and itinerant popular songs to celebrate this time of year during the Easter period. The entire repertoire of local songs does not find many written records today. It has always been the result of oral transmission from father to son and has unfortunately been lost over time. It is no coincidence that this musical tradition is still the subject of ethno-musicological studies today.
The folk songs of the Oltrepò Pavese are mostly in several voices, accompanied by group or couple dances. The texts that narrate the history of the place and the activities linked to the countryside are based on the musical instruments for which the area is renowned. If Stradella is the capital of the accordion, Cegni is that of the most masterful pifferai of the Quattro Province. Once upon a time, these songs accompanied festivals, but also the moments of sharing that could be found in the grape harvest and harvesting of the fields. Moments in which to mark time and make work less tiring. Today these songs are a reminder of times gone by, a melancholic memory, but one that fortunately remains alive in the memory and in evenings spent in company. Speaking of popular songs, it is impossible not to mention the Caballeros, an Oltrepavese group made up of Angelo Rossi, Giuseppe Zanardi, Carlo Zanocco, Luciano Rolandi and Natale Buscone, who have kept the area‘s mountain tradition alive with the technique of polyvocality. Vocal harmonies that led to the winning of awards and consecration as the leading local folk group.
