Workshop on traditional sicilian vocal music with elements of instrumental praxis (frame drums, jew’s harp, castanets) and a touch of traditional sicilian dance.
Edited by Matilde Politi and Simona Di Gregorio.
Sicilian oral musical tradition is very rich, speaking about singing and vocal repertoire; among it, the choral repertoire has been mostly abandoned and forgotten, both in the common life and popular use, and on folk stages.
The choral repertoire presents a variety and richness that recall a cultural world that now is over, passed away, with all its values that are so hard to find in contemporary world: such as joy, joy to be and make community, to share collective emotions, to share efforts, and pains, through the act of singing.
Singing in a way that always has a reference point in the rules of the song, shared by all the community, and at the same time always leave enough space to individual creation and improvisation.
Such formula, in my opinion, can be almost perfect, meaning positive interaction, and worth collective doing.
During the last 15 years, Matilde and Simona, have been working on this choral repertoire, presenting them on stages, and in workshops, around Italy and abroad.
Some kind of songs we teach in workshops are called "chianota", "arcarisa", "ruggeri", "barcillunisa", "baccialunisa", religious songs and "mottetti".
After a phisical training, looking for oneself organic posture and vocal emission, we reach an individual moment of singing; then, by teaching some samples of traditional songs, we experiment the different kind of vocal emission through the tipical melodic patterns.
In the workshop, we utilize some traditional instruments, such as jew’s harp, frame drums and castanets, to create ritmic accompaniments to the songs, in order to get some skills of the specific techniques used in Sicily for centuries.
Finally we try together the steps of an ancient traditional dance, the “ballittu”.