Officina Zoè return with Mari e Marenne, and Salento’s pizzica keeps moving

Officina Zoè have not returned with a museum piece. Mari e Marenne, released on 25 June 2026 by Linfa, is a nine-track, 55-minute record whose own credits place tamburelli, flutes, organetto, mandola and violin alongside acoustic and electric guitar.

That combination is important. Officina Zoè have spent more than three decades working with the popular music of Salento, especially pizzica. Their new record does not abandon that language, but neither does it treat it as something that must be frozen in an older form.

A return after almost a decade

The group signalled its return in May with “Lasciami qui”, its first new discographic release in almost ten years, followed by “Furiusa” in June. Both tracks appear on Mari e Marenne.

Officina Zoè describe the album as a new beginning, with traditional material mixed with new sounds and, at points, progressive experimentation. The published line-up is specific: Cinzia Marzo on voice, tamburello and flutes; Lamberto Probo on tamburello, tamborra and voice; Donatello Pisanello on organetto and mandola; Giorgio Doveri on violin; Silvia Gallone on voice, tamburello and tamborra; Luigi Panico on guitar; and Francesco Probo on electric guitar.

Pizzica is a living Salento tradition

Pizzica belongs to the tarantella family and is closely associated with Salento in southern Puglia. The tambourine is central to its sound, and the dance remains a visible part of festivals and community life across the region.

That makes Officina Zoè’s choices on this album more interesting than a simple “old meets new” formula. The traditional instruments are still present, but so is electric guitar. The record is not pretending that Salento in 2026 is the same place it was several generations ago.

The record is travelling too

Mari e Marenne entered the World Music Charts Europe at No. 2 in September 2026. Officina Zoè’s own history is already international: the group lists tours in countries including Japan, Australia, South Korea, India, Morocco, Egypt, Argentina, France, Belgium, Germany and Türkiye.

That is a useful part of the story. Music tied closely to one region can travel without becoming anonymous. In Officina Zoè’s case, the markers of place remain obvious: the percussion, the language, the instruments and the repertoire all point back towards Salento even as the arrangements move elsewhere.

Listen before you meet pizzica as a tourist

If you are living in or travelling through Puglia, pizzica is easy to encounter as a festival performance or a piece of regional identity presented to visitors. Mari e Marenne is a reminder that musicians inside that tradition are still deciding what it should sound like now.

The album is available through Officina Zoè’s official site and major streaming services.

Sources checked 30 September 2026: Officina Zoè official site and discography; World Music Charts Europe; Apple Music and Qobuz for release date and running time; Visit Puglia for background on pizzica.