He obtained his Ph.D. in Etho-anthtropology in 1991 (University of Calabria) and is full professor at the University of Palermo (Department of Culture and Society), where he teaches Ethnomusicology, Anthopology of music, and Semiotics of ethnic and popular music. He particularly studied the functional and symbolic values which are involved in the expressive performances of oral tradition (music, dance, narratives, theater) with reference to historical sources (England, Sicily) or by means of field reserach (Sicily, Greece, Tunisia). He wrote books and articles on these subjects and edited various CDs and videos. He is director of the series “Suoni&Culture” (Edizioni Museo Pasqualino, Palermo). He is founder and director, with colleagues Giorgio Adamo (University of Rome Tor Vergata) and Nico Staiti (University of Bologna), of the journal Etnografie Sonore / Sound Ethnographies (online version Museo Pasqualino, Palermo - printed version Edizioni Neoclassica, Rome). He is secretary of the “Centro Studi Alan Lomax” (Museo Pasqualino, Palermo).