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| Cantu a tenòre | |
|---|---|
 Canto a tenore inOliena, Sardinia | |
| Stylistic origins | Sardinian music |
| Typical instruments | Human voice |
| Local scenes | |
| Sardinia | |
| Canto a tenore, Sardinian pastoral songs | |
|---|---|
| Country | Italy |
| Reference | 00165 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2008 (3rd session) |
| List | Representative |
Thecantu a tenòre (Sardinian:su tenòre, su cuncòrdu, su cuntràttu, su cussèrtu, s'agorropamèntu, su cantu a pròa;Italian:canto a tenore) is a style ofpolyphonicfolksinging characteristic of the island ofSardinia (Italy's second largest island), particularly the region ofBarbagia, though some other Sardinian sub-regions bear examples of such tradition.
In 2005,UNESCO proclaimed thecantu a tenore to be an example ofintangible cultural heritage.[1][2]
The wordtenore is not to be confused with the word "tenor" 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 astaja inGallura andconcordu inLogudoro (Sassu 1978).
In theBarbagia region on the island of Sardinia, there are two different styles of polyphonic singing:cuncordu, usually a form of sacred music, sung with regular voices, andtenore, usually a form of profane music, marked by the use ofovertone singing.
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Cantu a tenore is traditionally practised by groups of four male singers standing in a close circle.[1] Each singer has a distinct role, here listed in descending pitch order—form achorus (another meaning oftenore):
Thebassu sings the same note sung by the'oche, andcontra afifth above thebassu. The'Oche and themesu 'oche sing in a regular voice, whereas thecontra and thebassu sing with a technique affecting thelarynx.The'oche 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 examplebim-bam-boo).
According to popular tradition,mesu 'oche imitates the sound of wind, while thecontra imitates a sheep bleating and thebassu a cow lowing.
The solo voice starts amonodic vocal line and is then joined by the others as he indicates to them to join in.
The effect is somewhat that of around except that the points where the other singers join in vary and, thus, theharmonies vary from version to version. The execution differs in details between each of the villages where atenore is sung to such an extent that the village can be immediately recognized.
Although nowadayscuncordu andcantu a tenore are performed only by men, memories remain of a time when women groups performed as well, following thematriarchal tradition of Sardinia. According to some anthropologists,cantu a tenore was performed back inNuragic times.[citation needed]
Some of the most well known groups who performa tenore areTenores di Bitti, Tenore deOrosei, Tenore diOniferi andTenores diNeoneli.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)| External videos | |
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| Cantu a tenore on Youtube | |
 Sardinian Pastoral Songs (Unesco) |
