For enthusiasts of music and nature, highly recommended is a visit to the Hi-Ho Music Festival located in the beautiful medieval town of Pieve di Compito in the province of Lucca. This summer is the third edition of the annual event organized by Centro Culturale Compitese, a community operative also known for organizing the Forest Festival (Festival del Bosco) in June.
This year’s festival consists of 17 concerts held during the month of July with performances from 26 groups and 100 different artists. In addition to live music, the festival venue also offers an open bar and various food vendors for visitors to enjoy. Best of all, entrance to nearly every concert is free.
Saturday July 18 will host performances by Joker Sound System and Mikey General. Joker Sound System is an Italian reggae group from Lucca founded by artists Liska, Bindiman and MC Morbido. They have collaborated with other Italian artists such as Terron Fabio e Chisco. Mikey General is a British-Born Jamaican reggae artist. He has toured throughout the United States and Europe with fellow reggae singer, Luciano. This concert will showcase performances full of soul, spirit and positive vibrations.
On Sunday, July 19 the duo Sachiko Hopwood & Akiko Kajihara and Roberto Luti will take the stage at 6 pm followed by Valentina Polinori opening for Dente at 9 pm. Sachiko Hopwood (koto) and Akika Kajihara (dance) are Japanese artists performing pieces inspired by Japanese mythology. Roberto Luti is a guitarist from Livorno who lived in New Orleans for a decade where he honed his musical talents in blues and rock and roll. Valentina Polinori is a roman singer-songwriter whose music blends genres of indie, pop, and alternative rock. Dente is the pseudonym of Italian indie-pop artist, Giuseppe Peveri. He won the Premio Italiano della musica indipendente for his 2009 album L’amore non è bello. For those who love all genres of music, local and global, this concert will be a treat.
For those more interested in jazz and swing music, there will be a concert by the Federico Frassi Ensemble on July 25 at 9 pm. Federico Frassi is a classically trained pianist and composer from Pontedera, Pisa. His Quintet, Grolnick and Me, consists of drummer Mauro Patti, saxophone player Renzo Cristiano Telloli, bassist Matteo Bonti and trumpet player Tommaso Iacoviello. Prior to the event, there will be a Jazz Jam Session held in collaboration with BargaJazz at 6pm. While this is one of the few events that is not free, the €5 entrance fee is well worth it for any contemporary jazz enthusiast.
Francesca Siano, an artist from Turin, known by her stage name, Francamente, is the headliner on Sunday, July 26. Siano highlights themes of queerness and transfeminism in her songwriting which she blends with sounds of electronica inspired by the years she spent in Berlin. Since 2024 she has lived in Milan where she participated in X Factor Italia and later collaborated with organizations such as BASTA Music and Costello’s Records. She’s an artist with an alternative edge that aims to celebrate identity and foster inclusion in the music industry.
The Hi-Ho Music Festival will be brought to a close on Saturday, August 1 by NaMali Groove. NaMali Groove is an artistic project and musical group centered around the fusion of West African and urban Mediterranean sounds. The band’s roots come from Naples and Bamako, the capital of Mali. Their music is primarily composed of funk, soul and jazz. Prior to the concert, there will be an Afro Jam Session that visitors can attend for an entrance fee of €8-15. With this event, Hi-Ho will end on a major high note promoting community, cultural diversity and musical innovation.
For more information, consult the Hi-Ho website. Concerts will be held at the physical location of Centro Cultural Compitese located on Via Fonda 1, Pieve di Compito. For any questions you may have, contact the organization at centroculturalecompitese@gmail.com.
CONCERT PROGRAM
SATURDAY, JULY 11
At 6 pm
– Setteminuti
At 9 pm
– Effenberg
– Ciulla
SUNDAY, JULY 12
At 9 pm
– Edda
– Esterna (opener)
SATURDAY, JULY 18
At 6 pm
– Joker Sound System
At 9 pm
– Mikey General
SUNDAY, JULY 19
At 6 pm (Camellietum Compitese)
– Sachiko Hopwood & Akiko Kajihara
– Roberto Luti
At 9 pm
– Valentina Polinori (opener)
– Dente
SATURDAY, JULY 25
At 6 pm
– Jazz Jam Session (*admission is €5)
At 9 pm
– Federico Frassi Ensemble
SUNDAY, JULY 26
At 9 pm
– Francamente
SATURDAY, AUGUST 1
At 6 pm
– Afro Jam Session (*Admission is €8-15)
At 9 pm
– NaMali Groove
