Officina Zoè

Officina Zoè

Officina Zoè is an Italian folk group formed in 1993 by Lamberto Probo, Donatello Pisanello and Cinzia Marzo. The group becomes closely associated with the revival of pizzica-pizzica in Salento, a traditional rhythm and dance form that it helps bring back into wider circulation. It continues to be active from its base in Italy.

Style and repertoire

The group works within the traditions of pizzica and taranta, while also adding original songs that keep the character of social dance music in traditional form. Its records contribute to the widening of the Salento repertoire, and its approach is linked to the continued renewal of older local song traditions.

Film, theatre and collaboration

Officina Zoè gains wider recognition through collaborations with the film director Edoardo Winspeare, including work connected to Sangue Vivo and Il Miracolo. Probo appears as an actor in those films, while Pisanello and Marzo contribute to the soundtracks. The soundtrack work brings the group a Grolla d’Oro at the Saint Vincent Festival and a nomination for the Nastro d’Argento.

The group also takes part in artistic and theatrical collaborations with Pamela Villoresi, Teatro Argot and Domenico Carli. In music, it works with Ominostanco, Don Moye of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and Baba Sissoko.

Performances and international presence

Officina Zoè appears at major events including WOMEX in Berlin, Villa Ada in Rome, Premio Tenco in Sanremo, Womad in Palermo, I Suoni delle Dolomiti in Trentino, and Voix de femmes in Brussels. It also performs outside Europe, with shows in Los Angeles, South Korea and Japan. The Japan tour is documented on the live album Live in Japan, recorded in Tokyo and Kyoto and including unpublished lyrics.

Membership and legacy

Over the years, other Salento musicians join the group alongside the core members. Some later move on to solo work or form new bands, carrying elements of Officina Zoè’s style with them. The group’s recordings also influence other artists working with traditional music from Salento.