TENORE de ONIFERI "S Gavino"
E Prite Tottu Custu

Fy 8118


Dunya Records
Italia

 

We often forget that the voice was the first instrument humans had at their disposal. A major error but one that Sardinian artists, with their age old vocal tradition do not make, as can be seen from the robust health of the a tenore polyphonic chant and the numerous excellent groups who continue to practice its repertoire. One of the finest is surely the TENORE SAN GAVINO DE ONIFERI choir who confirm their reputation with a new CD that also includes a number of tracks which appeared on the group’s debut recording released around twenty years (naturally on cassette). A tenore singing normally begins with the entrance of the soloist (sa ’oche) who sings the first verse and provides the tone for the piece, followed by the harmonies of the other members (mesa ’oche, contra e bassu) who create charmingly archaic sonorities out of guttural emissions and nonsense syllables. On E Prite Tottu Custu the TENORE of Oniferi propose a repertoire steeped in the traditions of their homeland from literary inspired boche pieces to ballu songs and muttos. Regarding the former it should be noted how the TENORE have always shown excellent judgement in selecting texts from the great poets of the island (from Peppino Mereu to Remundu Piras), with the result that their interpretations have won respect from the literary as well the music world. Of interest in the case of the muttos, a typical form structured in two parts (isterrita, performed by the soloist and risposta sung by the choir), is the participation of Elena Ledda, another great interpreter and moderniser of the Sardinian tradition, showing that the TENORE of Oniferi are open to experiment. A choice that far from representing a definitive rupture with tradition attests to the vitality of a music that is able to renew itself without needing to bow to the dictates of fashion.