( published by the Foundation)
A century after the publication of "Musa vernacular"
... .. Alongside the work of the reporter and the journalist, the poet-chemist Carmelo La Giglia represents the set of feelings of loneliness and hope of those who started
and sense of hopeless defeat of those who were unable to find the fortune idealized in the long ordeal that had preceded the exodus. dialect poet of great depth, he used the dialect cock Italic - a legacy of the Normans and Hohenstaufen in Sicily to remind its citizens abroad, especially those who had moved to the United States. And they devoted in particular to a single act, A Mereca , to press together with Musa vernacular poetry collection, published by Typography in Nicosia in 1908 and dedicated to his friend Mariano La Via, one of the most careful scholars of the rooster Italic dialect, the author of important essays on the subject. Mariano La Via was, for the poet nicosia, the man of culture involved in the study of folklore and history of the city, a staunch defender of the character of a citizen who saw the editor of The Echo of the Mountains and elected him to Parliament for College of Nicosia in 1909.
With this - the sale of which was entirely for the benefit of cookers for the poor fellow - the poet thanked the Way for the love shown in studies on the dialect linguists Nicosia. The same professor
MA Garrone, in the letter in response to a court poet who asked him about his work, he saw the sketch dramatic Mereca A simply wonderful, as built on "perfect figures, came up without difficulty, without study, with an unparalleled touch of happiness" and Thus, truthful in its development. Mariano La Via
arranged to send Musa vernacular in 250 copies and the minimum price of 50 money overseas. The news was spread through American cities in an article in the Italian language newspaper The Telegraph. Mutual benefit between the various organizations, the Society of Mutual Aid between the workers of Nicosia in New York Head Brothers picked up the sum - great for those years - 10 pounds, so it deserves special thanks from the prosindaco Way, said that as the organization of the workers had honored with the gesture represented the social class and "also our emigrants, which are always and everywhere Nicosiani, Italians. " La Giglia
entertained in the first person in close contact with associations Nicosiani of America, which recognized the effort to maintain strong roots of its members love for a land that no longer have the opportunity to review. The love of his countrymen abroad, he proved especially with the verses that he sent to New York in connection with various celebrations that Youth Nicosia was used to do regularly with members, and the company erbitense, grateful to their singer, elected him an honorary member for life. In
rhymes published in the collection Frizzi and caresses of 1911 reflected, in addition to the pride of being able to send payments to an association admiration and grief for not being present at the meeting friendly, bitterness at having to leave a country that had requested the blood of so many fellow countrymen during the uprisings, and then, once brought to completion the country's unity, he had abandoned his children to their fate, forcing them to emigrate. Bitterness also accompanied by the finding that the conduct of the government was Savoy often justified by the servility which characterized the Italian political class.
The report was consistent with the New York society, as evidenced for example by other verses of the poet's friendly at the meeting held by the organization in support of the war effort during the war in Libya in 1911.
Carmelo La Giglia became "prophet" of the Italian company, seeing in the conquest of the African territory the opportunity for colonization by the Italian masses, yet forced to emigrate overseas.
The conquest of the Italian troops in the provinces of Derna, Tripoli and Benghazi that would permit the return of villagers who are new colonizers of acquisita terra italiana, degna di essere fecondata del proprio sudore.
Lo stretto rapporto d’amicizia che intratteneva con alcuni dei nicosiani stabilitisi negli U.S.A. portò La Giglia a produrre versi in onore di specifiche occasioni privati. È il caso, ad esempio dei veri cantati per il matrimonio dell’avvocato e banchiere, nonché corrispondente del L’Eco dei Monti prima e del Il Fascio Nicosiano poi Carmelo Amoruso con Rosina Garigliano. E all’amico Amoroso si rivolgeva, cantando che, da buon nicosiano, egli aveva scelto una moglie del paese natio.
Dotate di quella satira che talvolta, per Sciascia “si discioglie in toni crepuscolari” anche le pagine dedicate dal farmacista-poeta al fenomeno migratorio fanno intravedere uno spaccato di vita paesana entro e fuori la Sicilia: quella Nicosia a volte rifiutata da chi è costretto a restare e a vivere di stenti e amata da che, per vivere, è costretto a partire per lidi lontani.
I versi di La Giglia, ironici e allo stesso tempo intrisi di tristezza per i fratelli lontani, dipingono sentimenti comuni ai letterati che si sono interessati all’emigrazione, esprimendo in più il senso di appartenenza ad una società diversa dalle altre non soltanto per il dialetto ma per le tradizioni comuni che ne fanno un unicum in tutta la Sicilia.
Alberto Micalizzi
