Last month’s launch of “Symphony of Accordions,” San Francisco’s first accordion festival in conjunction with Festa Coloniale Italiana (sponsored by the San Francisco Italian Athleic Club Foundation) was a huge success and exceeded expectations. The San Francisco Accordion Club (SFAC) was invited to participate at the inaugural event. The annual Festa is a free event located on Stockton between Union and Filbert Streets (North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco).
Ken Schwartz (SFAC President) and Rosemary Busher (SFAC Secretary) hosted the SFAC booth at the festival. In keeping with the SFAC’s non-profit Club’s mission to promote and stimulate the appreciation of the accordion emanating from San Francisco to the broader community in the US, the Festa provided a unique venue to highlight the history of the accordion in North Beach culture which continues to this day!
Ken and Rosemary chatted non-stop with over 100 visitors who wanted to learn about the accordion and many of whom had a relative who played accordion or still had one “in a closet!” Ken performed Italian tunes on an original SF Guerrini accordion which attracted visitors to the booth! Particularly relevant was Rosemary’s on-site free mini lessons with young students.
A fun time for Ken and Rosemary was being invited to play “That’s Amore” (key of C) alongside the Festival’s accordion artists on stage during the community sing-along.
The Festa presented a wonderful opportunity to showcase accordionists playing a diverse genre of traditional Italian and contemporary music styles and to revive interest in the accordion. The accordion festival’s entertainment included: Mike Trucco Band; Tatiana; Ron Borelli Group; il Sole featuring Steve Albini; Accordion Sing-Along of “That’s Amore”; and, Bella Ciao featuring Tom Torriglia.
An educational poster was designed to explain the accordion’s history in San Francisco and the SFAC’s involvement in the accordion community. With June as “National Accordion Awareness Month,” next year’s annual Festa Coloniale Italiana is slated for June 1-2, 2024 in North Beach, San Francisco
