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Italian Oral History Institute Los Angeles, California
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I.O.H.I. Italian Oral History Institute

An archive of Italian life in California, built from people's own words.

Resources

Publications

Books and recordings that carry the Institute's research onto the shelf and into the home.

On the shelf

Song, story and study

The Institute's publications grew from its recordings. Several titles gather songs and narratives in the original dialects with English translations, while others collect scholarly studies of Italian American folklife. Each is designed to be used, not merely admired.

Italian Traditional Song: a music and text anthology

Edited by Luisa Del Giudice. Second revised edition, published by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Los Angeles, 1995.

An anthology that pairs song texts in their original dialects with English translations, issued with recordings. The second edition was produced in limited numbers and has become sought after by collectors.

Studies in Italian American Folklore

Edited by Luisa Del Giudice. Published in 1993.

A collection of scholarly studies on the folklore of Italian communities in the United States, covering expressive culture, narrative and everyday life.

Cecilia: testi e contesti di un canto narrativo tradizionale

Luisa Del Giudice. Brescia, 1995.

A study of a single traditional narrative song, tracing its texts and the contexts in which it has been sung.

Il canto narrativo al Brallo

Luisa Del Giudice. Varzi, 1989, with an accompanying recording.

A study and a recording of narrative song from the Brallo region, joining analysis with the sound of the singing itself.

Availability

Some titles are out of print, and some were issued in limited editions. To ask about availability, or about contributing to a future publication, please contact the Institute. Supporters who make a larger gift are sometimes offered a remaining copy of the song anthology as a thank you.