The Tenore Song,an Expression of the Sardinian Pastoral Culture

Proclamation: 2005

Member State(s): Italy

Region: Europe-North America

Associated themes: Oral traditions and expressions

The A Tenore song has developed within the pastoral culture of Sardinia. It represents a very specific form of guttural polyphonic singing performed by a group of four men using four different voices called bassu, contra, boche and mesu boche. One of its characteristics is the deep and guttural timbre of the bassu and contra voice. It is performed standing in a close circle, where the solo singer sings a piece of prose or a poem while the other voices form an accompanying chorus. To be able to hear simultaneously their own and the other singers' voices and reach entire harmony, the singers hold one of their ears closed.

　　Most practitioners live in the region of Barbagia and other northern and central parts of Sardinia. Their art of singing is very much embedded in the daily life of local communities. Often it is performed spontaneously in su zilleri (local bars), but also at more formal occasions, such as weddings, sheep hearings, religious festivities and the Barbaricino carnival.