In 1967, while studying at the University of Naples he met and joined the Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare (NCCP) a Folk collective committed to combining theatre and popular music. Taking their cues from De Simone`s university research, they began visiting the villages of Compagnia (the Southern region of Italy) with the new goal of recording, preserving, and integrating traditional song into their progressive performances. One such performance, “La Gatta Cenerentola”, was presented to audiences in 1976, and it`s from this production that “II Coro delle Lavandaie” has been lifted.