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Corsican vocal tradition cannot easily be described or explained. Many are completely captivated by the music upon first hearing it; others can't stand it.
English historian and travel writer Dorothy Carrington, who lived and worked in Corsica from 1948 until her death in 2002 had this to say about her
first encounter with this vocal tradition: "It was like hearing a voice from the depths of the earth; a song from the dawn of time; from a beginning that
one never dares believe is possible."
Jean-Francois Bernardini in an interview: "The Corsicans did not invent polyphony, but they did invent the oral tradition, a specific way to tell
something, to emphasise polyphony. It was the first music I heard when I was growing up. I heard it in my village, in our house, where the men often came
to sing with my father. Polyphony is a monumental dimension in the Corsican oral tradition and is without doubt the most beautiful cathedral we have".
The polyphonic song harmoniously combine three registers of voice:
a secunda, which begins, give the pitch and carries the main melody;
u bassu, which follows it, accompanies it and supports it;
a terza, the highest tone, which enriches the chant, adding ornamental notes.
The Corsican polyphony includes sacred and secular forms. Secular polyphony includes forms such as paghjella, terzetti, madrigale, lamentu and nanne.
Sacred polyphony is sometimes used in the Catholic mass and there are many traditional polyphonic mass chants. At concerts, the Miserere or the Kyrie
are frequently sung. Some more examples of the sacred polyphonic chant, also taken from the Mass, are Agnus Dei, Gloria, and Sanctus. O Salutaris,
and 'Diu vi salve Regina' (a hymn to the Virgin Mary and the national anthem) are other examples.
The case of the Chjami è Rispondi is also very original. This improvised poetic joust requires from
the performers a exceptional virtuosity. It often tells of daily events, can be very humourous and remains
very prized by the public.
We can still attend it in Casamaccioli in the Niolo , during the A SANTA DI NIOLU fair in the month of september.
We can still attend it in Casamaccioli in the Niolo , during the A SANTA DI NIOLU fair in the month of september.
In the seventies, an awakening of the cultural conscience to preserve the Corsican tradition, culture and language, took place, initiated by young singers.
This revival is called the "riacquistu". One of the first groups to rediscover their cultural heritage is Canta a Populu Corsu, followed by I Muvrini, A Filetta
and I Chjami Aghjalesi.
Traditionally, polyphony is sung by three men. Nowadays, women also sing polyphony (e.g. Isulatine, Jacky Micaelli). The singers form a circle, their arms often placed on the shoulder of the neighbour. The hand on the ear has several reasons, the main one being to close the ear to avoid hearing the other voices and to hear better one's own voice.
The paghjella is performed by accompanied soloists, like Ghjuvan Paulu Poletti, Antone Ciosi, Petru Guelfucci.
Traditionally, polyphony is sung by three men. Nowadays, women also sing polyphony (e.g. Isulatine, Jacky Micaelli). The singers form a circle, their arms often placed on the shoulder of the neighbour. The hand on the ear has several reasons, the main one being to close the ear to avoid hearing the other voices and to hear better one's own voice.
The paghjella is performed by accompanied soloists, like Ghjuvan Paulu Poletti, Antone Ciosi, Petru Guelfucci.
Many Corsican groups now enjoy big fame, also beyond the bounderies of Corsica: I Muvrini, A Filetta, Barbara Furtuna, Voci di Corsica, Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses,
Soledonna, I Chjami Aghjalesi, Isulatine, Tavagna, Caramusa.
Traditional instruments
Cetera
Under the heading of the research linked to music, it is interesting to notice the success of certain undertakings of restoration of traditional instruments among those the Cetera, one of the most remarkable.
This traditional Corsican sistrum with 8 double choires, whose origin probably dates from the italian Middle-Ages, has been remade
by stringed-instrument makers, from the rare preserved models. This instrument is integrated with harmony to
ancient orchestra and it sometimes offer original tones to contemporary productions.
Well-known instrument makers, who are building beautiful instruments, are Christian Magdeleine (Bastia)
and Ugo Casalonga (Pigna).
Cialambella
The cialambella (cialamedda in the south of Corsica, cialambella or cialamella in the north), is one of the most simple
wind-instruments. It was already known in the Antiquity, Greek shepherds called the instrument
aulos (latin=calamus)
It arrives in Corsica not much later and through the centuries the body has been made of the wood of the figtree, the olive,-or palmtree; the reed was kept simple, punched by a piece of red-hot metal.
The cialambella can also be made with a double reed of which one, without the small holes, produces a continuous sound.
In fact, this is the principle of the bagpipe, one tube produces the melody, the other one "the bourdon", the humming.
It arrives in Corsica not much later and through the centuries the body has been made of the wood of the figtree, the olive,-or palmtree; the reed was kept simple, punched by a piece of red-hot metal.
The cialambella can also be made with a double reed of which one, without the small holes, produces a continuous sound.
In fact, this is the principle of the bagpipe, one tube produces the melody, the other one "the bourdon", the humming.
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