Traditional music
Maybe it's geographical proximity? But, while it is rare in the Mediterranean, polyphonic singing is one of the major common points between the island of Beauty and Sardinia. The canto a tenore, the Sardinian polyphonic song, has been practiced for millennia by poetic shepherds. Inspired by the guttural timbre of the Sardinian language, it is performed by a choir (gruppa) generally composed of four male voices, each with a well-defined function. The boghe ("the voice") sings the text and directs the other voices. The mesa boghe ("middle") is the highest voice and serves as accompaniment, embroidering and linking the different sounds relatively independently of the gruppa. The contra is the central voice of the choir, and it is around it that the other three voices are in tune. The bassu (bass) is a deep, even guttural voice, very much linked to the contra. These last three voices do not sing words, but meaningless syllables, whose modulations give rhythm and accentuate the intonations of the boghe. The singers say that these voices imitate those of the pastoral world: the bassu would imitate the ox, the contra the sheep, the mesa boghe would be the sheep, while the boghe would simply be the voice of the shepherd, thus signifying the proximity of the canto a tenore with nature. The whole produces an extremely poetic and moving effect. The song is most often sung without instruments, during a village meeting, and speaks about the present and past history of Sardinia, its ideals, its revolts... The stars of the genre are undoubtedly Tenores di Bitti "Mialinu Pira", a group that stands out for the refinement of its style, palpable in most of its recordings (starting with the captivating S' amore 'e mama). A true treasure, the cantu a tenore was proclaimed "Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage" in 2005 by UNESCO. On site, you can be sure to hear it on 30 September for the Festival of Bitti, the village from which the most famous tenores (choirs) come from. It is also common to come across them at various celebrations such as the Cavalcata Sarda
, one of the most beautiful festivals in Sardinia and a unique opportunity to admire costumes, dances, songs or recitals of Sardinian poetry. Another typical form of the island (particularly widespread in the north), the Cantu a chiterra is a monodic song, generally performed in Sardinian and Gallurian and accompanied by the guitar. Probably practiced for centuries, the genre is characterized by the "gara", a musical joust in which one must compete in breath and inventiveness to sing, each in turn, texts taken from the local poetic repertoire. A poetry always sung, the mutu is an improvised form traditionally performed by women in response to men.Traditional instruments
In Sardinia, besides songs, the oldest origins of Mediterranean music are told to us by very rare instruments such as the launeddas. This unique polyphonic reed clarinet with triple pipes and a single reed symbolises Sardinia's attachment to music, as the island has managed to preserve its existence and practice over the centuries. Although difficult to date, the origin of this instrument probably dates back to the Nuraghic period, as seems to be attested by the bronze figurine dating from the 8th century BC depicting a man playing a three-pipe flute (on display at the Archaeological Museum of Cagliari). Although it is most often played during religious ceremonies and dances, the launeddas was mastered by a few prodigies such as Efisio Melis (1890-1970). This Sardinian folk musician was one of the greatest launeddas
players in the world, considered even by some musicologists as the Bach or Mozart of his discipline.Other instruments widespread in Sardinia include su pipiolu, a four-hole reed "shepherd's flute", the serragia, a typical instrument made of a hollow reed and a swollen pig bladder, and the tumbarinu
, tambourines from Gavoi that mark the rhythm of festivals and dances. If local musical traditions have been preserved for centuries, it is also thanks to certain artists who have dared to combine them with various modern genres (jazz, rock, pop, etc.). This is particularly the case of the soprano Elena Ledda, who has reinterpreted Sardinian folk songs freely, or the trumpeter Paolo Fresu, who explores the frontiers of jazz by enriching it with local sounds.Popular music
From the 1990s onwards, many Sardinian artists made their entrance on the Italian scene, with lyrics in Sardinian dialect and adaptations of traditional sounds to rock and pop rhythms. This is the case of Tazenda, the most famous Sardinian musical group in the country. Its soloist, Andrea Parodi (1955-2006), remains one of the most appreciated voices on the Italian musical scene. Also very well known in Italy, the girls band Balentes has acquired a solid reputation with a repertoire mixing reworked traditional Sardinian songs and original pieces, often sung a cappella. Another remarkable performer, Franca Masu is famous for her songs in Alguerois - a Sardinian variant of Catalan - and her research into crossover styles. The Sardinian-Catalan tradition of the Alghero region represents an important musical current, which is mainly expressed through the cobles. The group Calic is a good representative of these ancient poetic-musical compositions. But if the Sardinians have been able to make their musical heritage heard and travel, it is also because it has been carried by great artists such as the unforgettable singer-poet Fabrizio De André or the fabulous Maria Carta. An emblematic artist of the island, the latter has embraced a wide range of traditional Sardinian music (in particular the cantu a chiterra) and is also famous for having been an actress with Coppola.
The dance
Dance and music are closely linked in Sardinia. They are an opportunity for men and women to dress in traditional costume and revive ancestral choreographies. One of the most popular dances is the ballo tondo (or ballu tundu
). Usually performed in a closed or open circle, it sees the musicians or singers standing in the centre, surrounded by the dancers holding hands, moving practically only their feet while their bust remains completely static. The various festivals on the island are, of course, excellent opportunities to attend performances of Sardinian dances, starting with the Festa Di Sant'Elena in Cagliari, a celebration of the patron saint of the town. Otherwise, every last Sunday in August, the Processione Del Redentore gathers thousands of people in the streets of Nuoro for a procession accompanied by traditional songs, dances and music (of launeddas). Another procession is the Marcia Longa of La Maddalena celebrates the Blessed Virgin Mary with sports competitions and Sardinian dances.
