The Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare was originally a folk group, formed in Naples in 1967 by Carlo D’Angiò, playing from popular canzone napoletana to american spirituals..
By 1970 important changes occurred: first of all the meeting with musician and musicologist Roberto de Simone and his wide research field on popular and ancient folk traditions. In a short time Peppe Barra, Patrizio Trampetti, Fausta Vetere e Nunzio Areni joined the group with the aim of rediscover and promote the traditions of the people of Campania (the Southern Italian region of which Naples is the capital).
The extraordinary success encountered at the Spoleto Festival in 1972 and 1974 marks their launch onto the international stage. Since then the NCCP frequently participated in all the most important festivals both within and outside Europe. These include Edinburgh, Helsinki, Berlin (Festwochen), Théatre des Nations (Caracas 1977, Hamburg 1979), Buenos Aires (Coliseum), Festival of the Fiandres, Zurich, Salzburg (Mozarteum), Paris (Théatre de la Ville), Athens, Israel, Spoleto, USA, Sydney (Opera House), Hong Kong, Singapore, Schwetzinger Festspiele (1990), Koln (Opera), Tokyo (Sogetsu Hall), Koln (Opera), Sao Paulo (Sesc Pompeia 2001), Beograd (Kolarca 2002), London (Riverside Studios), Munich (Hercules Saal) and others.
The group has alternated its musical activities with theatre productions, promoting and participating in several shows, including: La Cantata dei Pastori, La Canzone di Zeza, La Gatta Cenerentola, La Perla Reale, Sona Sona and others. For this reason Eduardo De Filippo invited them to perform in his theatre, the San Ferdinando in Naples.