L’eco dei dialetti: A celebration of dialects

For the last three years, the committee L’Eco Dei Dialetti has organized an event to celebrate creative voices with a passion for dialect. This year’s edition featured 24 presenters from the Greater Toronto Area, Hamilton and Ottawa. Despite a crowded calendar of events marking Italian Heritage month, over 200 people gathered at the Columbus Centre in Toronto for an evening of music, poetry, skits and camaraderie. The presentations were at times nostalgic and novel, even sometimes comedic, while consistently striking an emotional chord.

The agenda included presentations by individuals representing the regions of Abruzzo, Calabria, Campania, Friuli-Venezia Giulia,Lazio, Molise, Puglia, Sicilia and Veneto. While each presentation was unique, a number of themes emerged, including the sorrows of loneliness as one ages, the desire to preserve family traditions, and of course, the veneration of regional delicacies and wine. 

Gianna Patriarca and Professor Bruno Magliocchetti took turns presenting the readers. 

“Dialects may be fading, but last night they were alive. These are the languages we first took breath with. The poetry and the music were loud and beautiful,” comments Patriarca.

“A gracious audience filled the room with so much laughter, appreciation and recognition of something they clearly carry joyfully within,” Patriarca continues. 

In addition to a varied regional representation, the talents and passion of first, second and even third generation artists were on display.

“This was an evening where languages and sounds evoked senses, memories, and identities. These are the first languages many of us associate with our parents and grandparents. Each presenter reconstructed a world of the past, inviting the audience to find meaning and define their identity,” Magliocchetti explains. 

Magliocchetti remarks that when dialects awaken our senses, it’s a visceral experience. 

“Hearing a word enunciated a certain way creates a link between the present and the past, helping us better understand ourselves. Language is an instrument of that link.”

The idea for the event took root during an informal gathering of writers at the home of Bruna DiGiuseppe Bertoni, before the onset of COVID-19. As they discussed their various projects, it was clear that many in the group had a great interest in writing in dialect. 

“I am so proud of my dialect. It has beautiful sound to it,” says DiGiuseppe Bertoni.

What began as a casual conversation about compiling a book of dialect poems quickly evolved into a broader undertaking. Recognizing the need to first gauge public interest, Di Giuseppe Bertoni proposed an evening of dialect readings to the Columbus Centre. The Centre’s cultural director, Giulio Recchioni, was enthusiastic about the concept, leading to the formation of a committee. With the support of Villa Charities, the planning process began.

“For the sake of our children and our grandchildren, it’s important not to let go of our dialect. Non si può lasciare,” DiGiuseppe Bertoni continues.

The organizers still hope to find a publisher for a collection of these original pieces in English, Italian, and dialect.

The chair of the organizing committee, Gianni Mignardi, views this type of event as invaluable because it connects people to their origins.

“Many Italian immigrants arrived in Canada with little education and spoke only their regional dialect. With no access to Italian media, these first languages were preserved”.

Mignardi remarks that dialects in Italy were once considered provincial and low-class, but lately they are being recognized as cultural treasures.

“Our dialects are not only something to celebrate, but also to study and cherish as a cultural phenomenon, as we do our cuisine and music,” Mignardi added.

Linguists have observed that “a language is a dialect with an army and a navy.” Yet, on this warm summer evening, l’eco dei dialetti transcended any hierarchy with anyone and everyone luxuriating in the richness and sounds of dialects.

To follow the activities of L’Eco Dei Dialetti, please visit their Facebook page.