Artists

Coro di Mamoiada

image of Coro di Mamoiada Ancient Sardinian music

Cantu a tenores is the traditional ancient song of the Sardinian shepherds. Its origin are obscure. Some theories see in it a reiteration of nature's sounds using the oldest instrument in the world, the human voice: barking, echoes, whistling. Today the cantu a tenores can still be heard in rugged mountain regions of Barbagia.

Four men meet in a circle to sing: sa boghe (the voice) and a choir consisting of the high-pitched mesa boghe voice, the medium-pitched sa contra voice and the deep su basciu. While sa boghe recites the texts, the choir accompanies it with rhythmic, euphonic syllables. Rhythms ans syllables, choir sounds and changing keys vary from village to village, while the sequence remains similar. Today, the archaic sound of the cantu a tenores is threatened by commercialization and adaptation to pander to a wider audience.