Italy Unexpected spotlights Italy through food, music and dance

Italy Unexpected, a new cultural event at the Paavli Cultural Venue, will explore lesser-known Italian traditions through music, food and dance on August 15, ERR reported. The programme includes performances by Italian artists and free workshops on making tiramisu and limoncello, as well as Italian dance.

Organisers said Italy is one of the most popular travel destinations among Estonians, but is often associated with the same familiar places and symbols. The event aims to present the country as more diverse by focusing on less-known traditions, music and food.

Pietro Totaro will lead the tiramisu workshop, drawing on cooking traditions from Tuscany and southern Italy that have been passed down through his family. He plans to share a recipe from his sister Federica, which he says reflects generations of culinary knowledge.

Totaro said the recipe was also used to make his first tiramisu. Although he has tried hundreds of versions over the years, he considers this one the best.

“As with parmigiana, ragù or lasagne, there can be hundreds of versions of tiramisu, but certain rules must be followed,” Totaro said.

He will also lead a limoncello workshop, explaining how one of Italy’s best-loved drinks is made and what distinguishes good limoncello from a sweet lemon liqueur.

The Italian dance workshop is designed for people with no previous dance experience. It will be led by Mattia Dossetto, an Italian living in Estonia who has taken part in Occitan festivals and cultural events since childhood. He will teach both the dances and their historical and cultural background.

Italy Unexpected organiser Nico said the workshops were an important part of the event because they offered a direct way to share culture.

“We want to create a place where people can meet, spend time together and learn something they do not often experience at a conventional cultural event. Food, music and dance are ways for us to bring the community together,” Nico said.

The evening’s music programme will range from the ritual rhythms of southern Italy and Sicilian poetry to contemporary sounds influenced by Africa and the Mediterranean. The performers will be Kanuteh-Zanotti Duo, Luisa Briguglio and Mundial.

Kanuteh-Zanotti Duo combines West African traditions with contemporary world music. Drawing on the Mandengue tradition and influenced by Fela Kuti and the African diaspora, the duo moves between personal stories and engaging dance rhythms.

Luisa Briguglio will offer a personal view of Sicily that is at once mysterious, delicate and restless. Her music combines southern Italian traditions, the Sicilian dialect, poetry and contemporary sound layers in songs about exile, migration and identity.

Mundial will bring the explosive electro-tribal energy of southeastern Italy to the stage, combining the pulse of ancient rhythms with contemporary club culture.

Italy Unexpected will take place on August 15 at the Paavli Cultural Venue.