For Italian folk-techno outfit Fiamma Fumana, music has the power to transcend barriers of culture, age and language.

The group, formed in the mountains of northern Italy’s Emilia Romagna region, plays traditional Italian folk music with a modern twist, juxtaposing live instrumentation with electronic dance beats.

This unique pairing puts instruments like the flute, accordion, bagpipes and acoustic guitar side by side with synthetic bass and drum loops.

Adding to the mix are vocals sung in Italian by any or all of the band’s three women, in the historic tradition of the “choirs of Mondine,” an all-female Italian choirs that worked in rice fields by day.

Alberto Cottica, accordionist, guitarist, keyboardist and the only male in the group, says despite Italian lyrics, Fiamma Fumana’s music is accessible to almost everyone.

“Some of our music is in the local dialect that even some Italians can’t understand, but everyone seems to be able to relate really well,” Cottica says. “The language barrier is undeniable, but it does not seem to be a major problem.”

Another barrier that Fiamma Fumana hopes its music will cross is that of age. Cottica says that the band’s mission is to get young people interested in traditional music so it can live on through at least one more generation, a goal the band seems to be fulfilling. He also says though playing folk music with electronic elements may seem odd, it is an obvious update given today’s technological trends.

“Our project is to take traditional music back to the people. We would like our music to be immediately comprehensible, that’s why we play electronic music,” Cottica says. “The history of music can be rewritten as a history of technology, so it makes sense to play traditional music with DJs because that’s how they do it now.”

With several international tours and major American festival appearances under their belt, the members of Fiamma Fumana are undoubtedly spreading the word about traditional music to diverse audiences around the globe. Cottica says although they are mostly trying to interest younger fans, their music has an ageless appeal.

“We’ve noticed that the old people, especially in Italy, like [our music] a lot. They find it very refreshing that the old music is still going and young people are interested in it,” Cottica says. “Also, young people like it because it’s dance music, with simple beats and simple harmonies.”

All of Fiamma Fumana’s songs highlight the female voice, and most of them are sung only by the females in the group. The dominant voice in the mix is Fiamma Orlandi, the lead singer and namesake of the band. The second half of the name, “Fumana,” means “fog,” which is a regular feature of the Emilia Romagna region.

Cottica says having so many women in the band is an exciting experience.

“We don’t see a lot of women playing music,” Cottica says. “We think this is a shame, because by firsthand experience, women musicians bring a totally different angle which is very, very refreshing, so we would definitely encourage any woman who feels like it to go for it.”

Who: Fiamma Fumana

Where: Hotel Fort Des Moines, 1000 Walnut St., Des Moines

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday

Cost: $15 advance, $20 door