Compà – Strength in Numbers

Compà: Where Singer-Songwriter Music Meets the Brass Band

Every summer in Martina Franca, in the heart of the Itria Valley in the province of Taranto, Compà – Strength in Numbers takes the stage. Conceived and directed by local singer-songwriter Renzo Rubino, the concept is as simple as it is powerful: bringing Italian singer-songwriter music and the Apulian brass band tradition—a musical heritage deeply rooted in this land—onto the same stage. The result is a contemporary folk festival, free and open to all, that fills Piazza XX Settembre every year.

A Collective Ritual in the Heart of Martina Franca

The format is one of a kind: major names in Italian music take the stage to reinterpret their own songs accompanied by a brass band, which serves as the true thread of the evening. The square transforms into a meeting place for different generations and worlds, where singer-songwriter music dialogues with the brass and drums of local tradition. It is not just a concert, but a community moment where the audience is an integral part of the show.

A Symbol of the Martina Franca Summer

Born in 2024, Compà has quickly become one of the flagship events of the Martina Franca summer calendar, attracting thousands of people to the historic center of this Baroque town in the Itria Valley. With the patronage of the municipal administration and the departments of Culture and Tourism, the festival celebrates the bond between popular music and the territory, highlighting local bands—the true sonic soul of Apulian towns.

Free Admission in the Spirit of Sharing

True to its spirit as a public square festival, Compà offers free admission. Everyone is invited to participate and experience an evening where great music blends with the intimate, warm atmosphere of Martina Franca, among the whitewashed alleys and Baroque palaces of the center. It is a way to bring music back to the heart of collective life, just as Renzo Rubino imagined it.