[Music - Singing]
Hi everyone, I am Fred VESPERINI
and we are the ensemble
Spartimu.
We are 5 singers from Corsica,
and we have been the past
15 years studying, singing,
promoting, sharing, teaching and
fighting for Corsican polyphony.
The American Folklife
Center at the Library
of Congress has invited us to
perform in their 2021 Homegrown
at Home concert series.
So instead of being
in Washington, DC,
we're coming to you
today from Corsica
The American Folklife Center
will release a concert every
other Wednesday from now
through September 29,
at noon East Coast US time.
And each artist will be there
with you in the chat section
to answer questions, so be sure
to say, "Hi" - we will be there.
After each concert is
released you can continue
to find the video on
the Library's website
or on the YouTube Channel
Let's begin by a place we love
very much, the beautiful church
of Bastelicaccia, near
from Ajaccio the biggest
city of south Corsica.
This is where we
practice music every week,
where we make all our
rehearsals and also where
we invite for concert world
ensembles we work with,
like the very big
ensemble Village Harmony.
We will begin our concert
by some hints for you,
to understand what are
the particularities of
Corsican polyphony
and what we call
in Corsica "Cantu in Paghjella."
"Cantu in Paghjella" means,
in the Corsican language,
"to sing like a Paghjella."
Cantu in paghjella is a male
Corsican singing tradition.
It combines most of the
time three vocal registers
that always enter the
song in the same order:
a siconda, which
begins, give the pitch
and carries the main melody;
u bassu, which follows,
accompanies and supports it,
and finally a terza, the highest
placed, which enriches the song.
Barbara Futuna, beautiful song
about exile, and a Paghjella,
specific secular music
who gave its name
to the genre Cantu in Paghjella.
[Music - Singing]
Now we invite you to Ajaccio,
the birth place of Napoleon.
Napoleon Bonaparte, also
known as Napoleon The First,
was a military leader and
emperor who conquered much
of Europe in the
early 19th century.
Born on the island of
Corsica, Napoleon rapidly rose
through the ranks
of the military during
the French Revolution.
After seizing political
power in France in a coup,
he crowned himself
emperor in 1804.
Shrewd, ambitious and a
skilled military strategist,
Napoleon successfully waged
war against various coalitions
of European nations and
expanded his empire.
However, after a disastrous
French invasion of Russia,
Napoleon abdicated the throne
two years later and was exiled
to the island of Elba.
In 1815, he briefly
returned to power
in his Hundred Days campaign.
After a crushing defeat
at the Battle of Waterloo,
he abdicated once again
and was exiled to the
remote island of Saint
Helena, where he died at 51.
We celebrate this year the
200th anniversary of his death.
We will sing In Paradisu,
a traditional funeral song,
in the imperial chapel, just
above the crypt where Rest
In Peace many members
of his family.
Then a Croatian Corsican song,
symbol of the melting musical
traditions we do with Spartimu.
[Music - Singing]
Let's go now to the beautiful
church of Eccica Suarella,
from the 16th century.
All the places where we
recorded our songs were
in a 10 km radius, due to
pandemic curfew and lockdown.
Quite a challenge,
but also the occasion
to explore again treasures
we can see every day.
We will sing for you:
Dormi (Corsican lullaby)
L'orme sanguigne,
sacred song for easter
celebration Tbilisi,
half in Corsican and
Georgian language,
to show how much we are linked
to Georgian people and music.
And at the very end, the most
important hymn for each of us,
our Corsican anthem
Did vi Salvi Regina.
[Music - Singing]
So, we are back in the small
church of Bastelicaccia.
[Introduces ensemble.]
Thank you for listening today!
Please fell free to
contact us about anything,
especially if you would like to
discover more and maybe learn
to sing Corsican polyphony.
And check out the American
Folklife Center's website,
where you can find lots
of amazing sound
recordings online to explore.
www.loc.gov/folklife