She is considered one of the most representative female performers of Sicilian folk music.

Born in Palermo, she graduated in Cultural Antropology at La Sapienza University in Roma, and got a diploma in Performing Arts in C.S.R.T of Pontedera, Pisa.

Her work in the folklore of her native island aims to recover traditional sounds and praxis; it is also important to give new life to an expiring musical landscape, by creating new compositions, always linking Sicilian roots with Mediterranean ones, in order to map out the historical connections and influences, but mostly to draw in music the mixture of cultures that springs from nowadays multi-ethnic Sicilian society.

Strenghtened by a solid theatrical training, in the field of the most accurate Art of the Performer (1995-2002, Fondazione Pontedera Teatro), she chose music as a privileged form of art to convey and express unusual contents and words, filtered by Sicilian tradition and culture.

She worked in the Theatre as actress, singer, musician, musical trainer, musical consulent.

Voice is her best and favourite performing instrument, but she also plays instruments like guitar, accordion and drums to accompany the emotional and concrete power of singing.

She cooperates with various musicians, that have different musical backgrounds and traditions, by creating cross-over projects. The musical research is always alive, especially through travels in Africa and across Mediterranean area in search of others culture’s musical skills.

Since 2000 she focused on Sicilian traditional music, bringing forth the research on popular music and Mediterranean roots.

The research leaded to the creation of various concerts, which she presented all around Italy and foreign countries (Spain, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Tunisia, Mali, Switzerland, Canada), loving to pass from the most informal venue to Festival stages and Theatres.

She can perform in “solo”, or in ensemble, up to 8-10 musicians and dancers shows.

Up to today she has been giving vocal workshops, and concert/seminars on Sicilian traditional music.

Since 2003 in Palermo she has also been working for social integration of immigrants through music, by supporting them in creating multiethnic performances aimed to connect people and cultures.

In 2015 she started a multistep process aimed to put on stage a sort of musical she wrote, "The Butterfly trial".

In 2017 arrives the opportunity to fund a Sicilian Popular choir made of non professional people who learn, appreciate and share the old collective songs sung by our ancestors: "Unicavuci"

She creates different kinds of performances and shows in order to suite the context she is invited in. Through her songs she leads the audience in an intimate trip through Sicilian traditional culture and music, just with her guitar and voice, or she impresses the stage with a show featuring musicians and dancers, tracing a roundway trip from Sicily to Western Africa, passing through Arab, Sephardic, Greek and Turkish sounds, that is the southern Mediterranean area, often linked with Sicily during its long history.

main discography

2007 - "A TIRANNIA. Canti politici e storici del popolo in Sicilia"

Teatro del Sole – Palermo, Italy

2007 - "SUGNARI", Ma'arìa (Valeria Cimò/Matilde Politi/Lajos Zsivkov)
 

Folkclub Ethnosuoni - Casale Monferrato (AL), Italy 
(featuring me as artistic producer/arranger/singer/musician)

 2008 - "MATILDE POLITI. Si eseguono riparazioni dell'anima" 
Arcimiccica – Catania, Italy

2009 - "FOLKSONGS FROM SICILY" 
ARC Music – UK

2009 - “ONDA MEDITERRANEA – Un mare di suoni” 
Curva Minore/Regione Siciliana,

Assessorato dei Beni culturali e Ambientali e della Pubblica istruzione/Casa museo Antonino Uccello

2012 - "D'AMURI, GILUSIA, SPARTENZA E SDEGNU" Traditional Love Songs from Sicily.
 Matilde Politi - Palermo, Italy

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2013 - "CANTATA NO MUOS"
 Matilde Politi - Palermo, Italy

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2013 - "VACANTI SUGNU CHINA. Sicilian Folksongs" 
Felmay Records - Torino, Italy

2019 - "AINAVO' Studio sui canti del mare" Coro Unicavuci - Catania, Italy

2019 - "Matilde Politi e AGENTI MISTIKI'"  Matilde Politi - Palermo, Italy

2019 - "DORMI, A MATRI. Ninne nel Mediterraneo" Matilde Politi - Palermo, Italy

2020 - "VIVA SANTA LIBERATA. Sicilian Women Folksongs" Felmat Records - Torino, Italy

awards

2009 - PREMIO “ROSA BALISTRERI E ALBERTO FAVARA”

2010 - PREMIO TERESA VIARENGO XI EDIZIONE

2010 - SPECIAL MENTION at NAPOLI FILM FESTIVAL 2010 to MATILDE POLITI and DOUG GALLOB, for the soundtrack of the movie "Profumo di lumia", directed by Joel Stangle

2011 - 22 April - EARTH DAY: the song "Matri Terra" from the album "Folksongs from Sicily" is selected as official soundtrack for the Italian Giornata Mondiale della Terra - Internet action 2011 

2012 - BABEL MED MUSIC - 8° world music forum Marseille France - OFFFICIAL SHOWCASE

2016 - 7° edition Musica contro le Mafie: Award Casa Memoria Peppino Impastato to the "Cantata No Muos"

ARTIST EMAIL CONTACT: mat.politi@gmail.com