Efisio Melis (1890–1970) was a
Sardinian folk musician, and noted to have been one of the greatest
launeddas players in the world.
He was born in
Villaputzu near the southeastern tip of the island of
Sardinia, the same town of fellow noted launeddas player Antonio Lara. Melis was a child prodigy, performing in public at the age of eleven. His career fell into decline in the 1920s, but revived in the mid-1930s when he made a number of recordings on the ''launeddas'' that have since been reissued and serve as important documentation of his skill. He was praised by the Danish musicologist, Andreas Fridolin Weis Bentzon, as having a talent comparable to that of
Bach and
Mozart (cited in Leydi, 1990). His life ended in
Cagliari
Cagliari (, , ; ; ; Latin: ''Caralis'') is an Comune, Italian municipality and the capital and largest city of the island of Sardinia, an Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Italy. It has about 146,62 ...
.
See also
Music of Sardinia
References
* Leydi, Roberto. "Efisio Melis" in ''Le tradizioni popolari in Italia; canti e musiche popolari'', Milano: Electa, 1990.
External links
Sardinian Music- Buy Sardinian Music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Melis, Efisio
1890 births
1970 deaths
People from the Metropolitan City of Cagliari
Italian folk musicians
Music in Sardinia
20th-century Italian musicians