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social mafias
From “Reguli i ndrina” to “Ricordi i nu sequestratu”: 'ndrangheta songs are becoming popular on the web
For some, simple “folklore”, for others, celebratory music: the videos on the Calabrese mafia that get thousands of views
Published: 22/08/2024 – 14:04

Songs dedicated to fugitives, the 'ndrangheta and the honoured society. Some neomelodic, others that take up the typical rhythm of traditional Calabrian music. Hundreds of thousands of views and comments that exalt the 'ndranghetisti as "men of honour who show respect and must be respected" . While concerts of singers criticised for lyrics linked to the criminal world are cancelled in the squares, entire albums and songs dedicated to Calabrian crime are freely popular on social media (especially on YouTube). And while Meta, the agency that controls Facebook and Instagram, has recently introduced the possibility of reporting for "organised crime" (receiving the compliments of the president of the anti-mafia commission Chiara Colosimo), songs about the 'ndrangheta are still easily accessible on the platform owned by Google.



The album “covers”
Thousands of views
The song “'Ndrangheta, camurra e mafia”, released in 2018, has almost 600 thousand views. Other “soundtracks” are based on the numbered albums of the 'ndrangheta, the same ones requested in prison – as emerged from the habanero investigation – by the alleged boss of the Preserre Francesco Capomolla. Inside are singles like “ Reguli i 'ndrina ”, “ Ricordi i nu sequestratu ” and “ A società furmata ”, all easily reproducible online. Here too, the views reach 40 thousand. In the comments, some dating back years but still clearly visible, there are those who approve, those who praise Calabria, but also those who speak of 'ndranghetisti as «men of honor» who «don't talk», that is, who keep their mouths shut. Among the dozens of comments, there are also those who protest about the songs and launch a warning: « Whoever lives this life ends up either killed or in prison ».

READ ALSO: CDs on the 'Ndrangheta and “holy cards”: Capomolla's requests (from prison). «You can find them at the Vibo market»
Folklore or hymnal music?
If there are those who condemn this type of music, believing that it praises the 'ndrangheta, there are also those who defend it by claiming that it is only " Calabrian folklore ". Popular music based on the region's tradition, from the brigandage of historical times to the underworld of today. "My songs are inspired by the tradition of Calabria, not by the 'ndrangheta" Teresa Merante , one of the Calabrian singers who ended up in the dust for the criticism of some of her lyrics, defended herself, adding that "there is no difference with fiction that talks about the mafia". Others, however, underline the absence of references to crime in songs that limit themselves to talking about "romantic" stories or brigandage of times gone by. But while there is discussion about whether or not it is appropriate to have singers perform in the squares, songs by "unknown" artists openly praising the 'ndrangheta and the "honoured society" are easily accessible on the internet. The same are then used on other social networks such as TikTok, often associating them with images that recall 'ndrangheta rites and culture.


Controversies and cancelled concerts
The latest controversy on the matter has ignited in Cetraro, where some members of civil society, including the parish priest and local parties, protested the organization of a concert by Salvatore Benincasa, a neomelodic singer who, according to the protesters, has in his repertoire lyrics praising the 'ndrangheta. Also playing as a mockery is the fact that the event is being screened contemporaneously, also in Cetraro, with a film about Giannino Losardo , the communist mayor killed by organized crime in 1980. A case that recalls those of the aforementioned Teresa Merante and Andrea Zeta (stage name for Filippo Zuccaro), the latter the son of a mafia boss who has been banned from performing publicly in the Vibo Valentia area. ( Ma.Ru .)