''the concert in Nordhofen'' by Riccardo Prencipe (Corde Oblique)

In 2009 we released “The stones of Naples”. It was a very productive year for the band.

We went for a concert in a very small town in Germany called Nordhofen. It was a very long trip. We rent a car at the Frankfurt airport and we still had 400 kilometers to run. After 150 kilometers our percussionist, Francesco Manna, said: "hey guys, can you stop the car, please? I'm not sure I took my riq. I am afraid I left it at the car parking of the airport". (the riq is an egyptian frame drum). We were all disappointed, but the driver (Alfredo Notarloberti, our violinist) stopped the car. Francesco checked everywhere and the riq was not in the car! So Francesco said: "please, I must go back to the airport's parking because I want to try to look for hoping to find it, I just bough it in Egypt, I can't miss this special instrument!" It was around midnight, we all started to keep Francesco on his leg and to blame him for his lack of attention. it's been three hours since we leaved and we were sure that the riq would not be there any more! Simply impossible.

We went back at the parking area and the riq was still there instead! We were very surprised, also because it was a public parking, so we could not believe it!

We arrived at our hotel in Nordhofen extremely late. The town was so small, but pretty. The day after we reached the venue. It was a beautiful church, quite far from the town. I was really worried about the audience because the ticket was quite expensive. Moreover the place seemed quite isolated and last but not least it was the first time we played in Germany. But all at once many people crowd into the church. It was a very unusual sensation for me to hear the public applausing just any time onee note was silent. I had performances in other countries before, but the German audience really impressed me for its attention.

I guessed that we were transmitting our mediterranean feeling to them. They have always appreciated our culture and things have not changed. By the way, I remembered what Johan Wolfgang von Goethe said about Naples: he was deeply impressed and shocked by a so different world, but at the same time, there was something attractive to him ("forgive those who loose their minds in Naples" he wrote in 1787).

We went to Nordhofen with two important singers of our band: Annalisa Madonna and Claudia Sorvillo. I can vividly remember pleasant moments of friendship and energy. I should still have a recording of an improvisation we made after the concert, with Edo at the piano and Claudia and Annalisa singing.

After the concert I realized that Germany was one of the best music audience I had ever played in front of, and every time we perform there, I believe it again.