ON STAGE 

VOCALS MEETING AT THE TOP 

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A true polyphonic bouquet offered to the public, POLYTERRANEA will make you discover two of the most beautiful polyphonic traditions in the Mediterranean basin.

This concert will take the form of vocal jousts with songs from each tradition that illustrate the different moments of life (working songs, solemn songs, about exile), sacred songs or even songs that celebrate wine, the homeland, the sea or love...

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Both are traditionally male polyphonies, and the quality of the voices is the first common element that appears when listening to these two polyphonies representing very different regions and Mediterranean musical cultures.

The concert will focus on making people discover the particular sonorities of the voice used in these countries, and the specific vocal play.

In Corsican polyphonies, originally created by shepherds, words were intended to tell facts of daily life, before becoming a real cultural tradition. The fifth (five-note interval) is widespread.
Paghjella is one of the forms of traditional polyphonic singing. It is the ultimate festive song as it's sung during all festive events (patronal festivals, banquets, weddings and so on).

The image of paghjella singers arranged in a semi-circle, arm sometimes passed on the neighbor’s shoulder, hand in their ear (either to listen to the other singers, or to hear better their own singing), is now known to the whole world.

Less well known, the Klapa, a multi-voice song from Dalmatia (Southern Croatia) which was inscribed in 2012 as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. In Croatia, too, singers often hold their shoulders in a semi-circle. The first tenor starts singing, followed by the others. The main goal is to achieve the best fusion of voices possible. Technically, klapa singers express their mood through an open, guttural, nasal, half-voice, voice of falsehood, usually in a high range. Another feature of the klapa is the ability to sing freely, without written notation. The owners and practitioners are talented enthusiasts who inherit the tradition of their predecessors. Their age varies, with many young singers standing beside their elders. In the “traditional klapa”, knowledge is passed on orally.
 

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The main character traits of this type of song are harmony and melody; the rhythm is rarely fast.

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