Cantu A Tenore on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The ( sc, su tenòre, su cuncòrdu, su cuntràttu, su cussèrtu, s'agorropamèntu, su cantu a pròa; it, canto a tenore) is a style of Omar Bandinu, Il canto a tenore, dai nuraghi all'Unesco, Siti, 16(2,3), 2006
is traditionally practised by groups of four male singers standing in a close circle. Each singer has a distinct role, here listed in descending pitch order—form a chorus (another meaning of ):
* or (pronounced /oke/ or /boke/, 'voice') is the solo voice
* or is the 'half voice'
* is the 'counter'
* as 'bass'
The sings the same note sung by the , and a fifth above the . The and the sing in a regular voice, whereas the and the sing with a technique affecting the larynx.
The sings a poetic text in Sardinian, which can be of epic, historic, satirical, amorous or even protest genre. The chorus consists of nonsense syllables (for example ''bim-bam-boo'').
According to popular tradition, imitates the sound of wind, while the imitates a sheep bleating and the a cow lowing.
The solo voice starts a monodic vocal line and is then joined by the others as he indicates to them to join in.
The effect is somewhat that of a
Although nowadays and are performed only by men, memories remain of a time where women groups performed as well, following the matriarchal tradition of Sardinia. According to some anthropologists, was performed back in Nuragic times.
Some of the most well known groups who perform are and .
Tenore singers on a mountain
The Oral Tradition of the a Tenore Song, an expression of Intangible heritage of the Sardinian pastoral cultureSardinian Music
- Buy Sardinian Music
Tenores.org
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cantu A Tenore Italian folk music Music in Sardinia Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity A cappella Four-part harmony
polyphonic
Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, h ...
folk singing
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung accompaniment, wi ...
characteristic of the island of Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label= Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label= Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, af ...
(Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
's second largest island), particularly the region of Barbagia
Barbagia (; sc, Barbàgia or ) is a geographical, cultural and natural region of inner Sardinia, contained for the most part in the province of Nuoro and Ogliastra and located alongside the Gennargentu massif.
The name comes from Cicero, who d ...
, though some other Sardinian sub-regions bear examples of such tradition.
In 2005, UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
proclaimed the to be an example of intangible cultural heritage.Etymology
The word is not to be confused with the word "tenor
A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors i ...
" as a simple description of vocal register; it refers to the actual style of folk singing and is distinguished from other similar styles called by different names in different places on the island, such as in Gallura and in Logudoro .
In the Barbagia
Barbagia (; sc, Barbàgia or ) is a geographical, cultural and natural region of inner Sardinia, contained for the most part in the province of Nuoro and Ogliastra and located alongside the Gennargentu massif.
The name comes from Cicero, who d ...
region on the island of Sardinia, there are two different styles of polyphonic singing:
, usually a form of sacred music, sung with regular voices, and , usually a form of profane music, marked by the use of overtone singing
Overtone singing – also known as overtone chanting, harmonic singing, polyphonic overtone singing, and diphonic singing – is a set of singing techniques in which the vocalist manipulates the resonances of the vocal tract, in order to arous ...
.
Technique
is traditionally practised by groups of four male singers standing in a close circle. Each singer has a distinct role, here listed in descending pitch order—form a chorus (another meaning of ):
* or (pronounced /oke/ or /boke/, 'voice') is the solo voice
* or is the 'half voice'
* is the 'counter'
* as 'bass'
The sings the same note sung by the , and a fifth above the . The and the sing in a regular voice, whereas the and the sing with a technique affecting the larynx.
The sings a poetic text in Sardinian, which can be of epic, historic, satirical, amorous or even protest genre. The chorus consists of nonsense syllables (for example ''bim-bam-boo'').
According to popular tradition, imitates the sound of wind, while the imitates a sheep bleating and the a cow lowing.
The solo voice starts a monodic vocal line and is then joined by the others as he indicates to them to join in.
The effect is somewhat that of a round
Round or rounds may refer to:
Mathematics and science
* The contour of a closed curve or surface with no sharp corners, such as an ellipse, circle, rounded rectangle, cant, or sphere
* Rounding, the shortening of a number to reduce the numbe ...
except that the points where the other singers join in vary and, thus, the harmonies
In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. Howeve ...
vary from version to version. The execution differs in details between each of the villages where a is sung to such an extent that the village can be immediately recognized.
Tradition
Although nowadays and are performed only by men, memories remain of a time where women groups performed as well, following the matriarchal tradition of Sardinia. According to some anthropologists, was performed back in Nuragic times.
Some of the most well known groups who perform are and .
Notes
References
* * * Cited in . *Listening
Tenore singers on a mountain
See also
*Throat singing
Throat singing refers to several vocal practices found in different cultures around the world. The most distinctive feature of such vocal practices is to be associated to some type of guttural voice, that contrasts with the most common types of vo ...
External links
The Oral Tradition of the a Tenore Song, an expression of Intangible heritage of the Sardinian pastoral culture
- Buy Sardinian Music
Tenores.org
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cantu A Tenore Italian folk music Music in Sardinia Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity A cappella Four-part harmony