Songs from Sardinia at Mission Folk Fest
Tenores di Neoneli of Sardinia appear at the Mission Folk Music Festival this year.
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Updated: July 08, 2009 2:51 PM
There is a tradition of singing on the Italian island of Sardinia that is so unique and powerful it has been designated by Unesco as a World Cultural Heritage. The singing style is called “canto a tenore” or tenor chorus.
Not to be confused with the word “tenor”, a simple description of vocal register, canto a tenore is an actual style of polyphonic folk singing, with raw and complex close-harmony vocals practiced only on the Italian island of Sardinia, and particularly in certain regions and villages. The little village of Neoneli in the district of Oristano is one such place that has been singing canto a tenore since ancient times.
Tenores di Neoneli are four men, Tonino Cau, Angelo Piras, Nicola Loi and Ivo Marass, who live in Neoneli and sing and tour the traditional songs, along with those they compose themselves in the style of the tradition. They will be performing at the Mission Folk Music Festival from July 24-26 at Fraser River Heritage Park in Mission, taking the main stage on Saturday night with a range of other great musicians.
The sound of their singing is entirely melodic, as solo singers chant a piece of prose or a poem while the other voices form an accompanying chorus. It is the type of singing that accompanies celebrations and joyous occasions on the island, but it’s also sung in local restaurants and bars. At the Mission festival, Tenores di Neoneli will be accompanied by two musicians, Orlanda and Eliseo Mascia, who play the launeddas – an ancient Sardinian woodwind instrument dating back to the 8th Century BC. The launeddas consists of three pipes that are played using circular breathing.
The music and the Tenores’ singing is lively, entirely engaging – their Mission Folk Music Festival appearance a rare occurrence that offers festival audiences a special opportunity to share in this rich and ancient culture. This is Tenores di Neoneli’s first visit to the festival.
Read about them and the other great musicians coming to the festival, and get your tickets by going to www.missionfolkmusicfestival.ca. Tickets are also available by phoning 604-826-5937.
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