Simona Di Gregorio

Simona Di Gregorio, singer and multi-instrumentalist (organetto, percussion, guitar, wind instruments, etc.). Since she was very young she studied piano and rhythm education between Italy and Germany. Then she became passionate about ethnic and popular music. She studies and collaborates assiduously with Matilde Politi a repertoire of traditional Sicilian polyvocal songs; with her he also leads the choir of Voci di Tradizione Unicavuci since October 2017 and, with the formation Matilde Politi e Compagnia bella, It has numerous concerts in Italy and Europe. She conducts workshops of Sicilian and world songs, exploration and vocal education. It has numerous collaborations with artists and island associations, in entertainment and training activities. She is the songwriter and performer for the film “Acqua fuori dal ring” by Joel Stangle. Together with Giovanni Arena and Riccardo Gerbino he founded Luftig, with whom he published the CD Erdring (49 editions) in 2017.

‘U PRIMU VOLU

” ‘U primu volu ” is the first single by Simona Di Gregorio, a song that crosses time to return to live in a new sonorous way.
Available from 24 March 2025, the piece was born from an ancient peasant song, collected by Alberto Favara in the Corpus of Sicilian popular music, a wealth of oral voices and stories.

Simona Di Gregorio, who is already the voice on the soundtrack of the Netflix series “Il Gattopardo“, continues her musical journey through the Sicilian tradition with an intimate and experimental language. The melody has its roots in the songs of the reapers of Paceco, Trapani, a place where work and land intertwine with the sound of voices. Sung in the manner of the reapers, the song transforms the simple gesture of a bird’s first flight into a delicate metaphor of life and love.

Simona Di Gregorio gave voice and sound to this opera, interpreting it with the strength of a tradition that lives and transforms. She sang and played all the instruments – kalimba, accordion and tambourine plates – creating an essential and enveloping musical fabric.
An intimate and deep arrangement, in which each element is intertwined with the voice to give back to the song its evocative force.

“U primu volu is the taut ear of Simona child who, in the scenery of sbrilluccichii on the waters of the gulf of Acitrezza, studies the compositions of the multitude of birds that live the surrounding countryside, loaded with olive trees and lemons. I dedicate it to my son Matteo and the song that is inside of him, waiting to take flight” says the artist.

The single anticipates the new recording project Volu Volu, released for the Associazione Musicale Etnea, a path that crosses the Sicilian tradition with a musical language that is nourished by experimentation. ‘U primu volu’ will be available on all digital platforms from 24 March 2025.

Listen to the song on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

For interviews and press requests: ame.comunicazione@gmail.com | +39 3470112200

Pubblicazioni

In “Mediterraneo crudele”, she plays the accordion in the song “Maradona” that belongs to the first album of the group Giringiro 2024;
Alligrati, pasturi! Sicilian Christmas songs, UnicaVuci choir, directed by Simona Di Gregorio, excerpts from the Corpus of land and sea songs by Alberto Favara, 2022;
She has recently recorded two traditional songs for the Netflix series “il Gattopardo”, under the direction of Paolo Buonvino: “Spunta lu suli” and “Si fussi aceddu”;
Sicilian dances, compendium of Sicilian dance music, performed by the group Casentuli (Simona Di Gregorio, Giorgio Maltese, Pasqualino Cacciola), 2021;
Ainavò, study on the songs of the sea, performed by the choir UnicaVuci and directed by Matilde Politi and Simona Di Gregorio, songs taken from the Corpus of land songs and the sea by Alberto Favara, 2018;
Dormi a matri, Ninne del Mediterraneo, three songs performed and arranged by Simona Di Gregorio and taken from the Corpus of land and sea songs by Alberto Favara (Annacata, Je ninna nanna, Aò viniti sonnu), an unpublished piece (Ti ‘nnacu), 2018;
Repairs are made of the soul, of Matilde Politi. He composed with the Politi and performed the piece Amuninni, arranged and performed the piece Santaninfara (taken from the corpus of land and sea songs by Alberto Favara), Arcimiccica, 2013;
Ppi jocu e pp’amuri Sings “E tulì tulì tulì” with the Catanese group “I Beddi”, from the album Ppi jocu e pp’amuri, 2010;
Dedicated to Rosa Balistreri, canti e cunti del Natale siciliano, performed by ‘I Beddi (Simona Di Gregorio, Davide Urso and Franco Barbanera), artistic production Simona Di Gregorio and Davide Urso, 2006;
Viva Santa Liberata, sicilian women folksongs, by Matilde Politi.

He performed the pieces:

La cuda chi vota si fa testa, Viva la libirtà, Gruttisa, Lidia I, 2019;
A prossima vita, poems by Biagio Guerrera, of which three pieces arranged and performed by Simona Di Gregorio: Aveva assai ca nunnu sinteumu, Ciauru, Nuatri semu antichi, 2022. Petra separately. Associazione Musicale Etnea, 2018;
Vacanti sugnu china, by Matilde Politi. She performed the songs Festa della Borgata and Vinnigna, 2016;
Erdring, by Luftig (Simona Di Gregorio, Giovanni Arena and Riccardo Gerbino). She took care of the composition (except two because edited pieces), the arrangements and is the performer of all the songs, 49 editions, 2016;
Unknown people, by Terrae, she performed the pieces Quantu basinicò and Ciciri francisi, 2014;
Ninnaò by Rita Botto, performed the traditional song Avò, 2014.