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MusicintroductionA tour round Corsica’s churches, concert halls, restaurants and bars will expose the visitor to a broad spectrum of music. But while Corsica, like any other flourishing European destination, receives its fair share of mainstream American and European pop music, Corsica’s own music is subtly different from the material that washes over it from France, Italy and beyond. Much of Corsica’s sacred, traditional (and even some popular) music is based on an ancient musical form called “Polyphony”. You may be lucky enough to hear a sung mass in a mountain village church; you could attend a concert in the auditorium in Pigna or you could just find yourself listening to the haunting melodies of Corsica’s best known band, i muvrini, in a bar. Most of i muvrini’s music is original, but the subtle cadences in the vocals are resonant of Corsican Polyphony. It’s difficult to describe this complex and haunting music in words. To British or Irish ears, Corsican music can sound Eastern rather than European, but different people react to it in different ways. You may be able to order a CD from the World Music section of your favourite music store or from an online store like Amazon.co.uk. And of course, make sure you listen out for it when you visit the island! Corsicans are proud of their musical traditions and if you hear music you like in a restaurant, don’t forget to ask your waiter the name of the singer or band. There is a Polyphony Festival each autumn in Calvi. In 2004, many of the big names in polyphonic music took part, with L'Alba (find out more about L’Alba here) prominent and A Filetta taking a coordinating role. But the act I remember best was a wonderful all-woman group called Isulatine: their haunting melodies keep returning to me... The village of Pigna is perhaps the most important centre of traditional music on the island. In 2000, the auditorium was built there to welcome local polyphonic music performers - and other musicians from all over the world. From 3rd to 13th July each year, there is a music festival called ESTIVOCE, with outdoor concerts each evening in the streets and squares. The concert programme is organised by an association called FESTIVOCE - you can contact them via their website (www.casa-musicale.org) or you can email them at festivoce@casa-musicale.org. And if you feel like something completely different, you can try the Calvi Jazz Festival, held annually during the summer. |
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