{"id":5007,"date":"2021-04-03T14:05:05","date_gmt":"2021-04-03T11:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mozartcultures.com\/en\/?p=5007"},"modified":"2021-04-05T02:03:07","modified_gmt":"2021-04-04T23:03:07","slug":"cantu-a-tenore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mozartcultures.com\/en\/cantu-a-tenore\/","title":{"rendered":"Cantu a Tenore, an Echo from The Ancients"},"content":{"rendered":"

Echo from The Ancients<\/em><\/h2>\n

Imagine yourself in Sardinia. Midway along the Mediterranean Sea, amazing summer sun, and just cool little places all around. One night after dinner you go for a stroll to explore the city of Orosei on the eastern coast, and you start hearing some weird metallic drone-like singing, in the distance.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve never heard anything like it. The closest you can compare it to is a Death Metal singer that had found the joys of Buddhist meditation.<\/p>\n

Once you find its source you realize it’s a group of men singing in a circle in a manner you\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n

Congratulations! You\u2019ve encountered singers of Cantu a Tenore<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a part of Sardinia\u2019s pastoral and musical heritage, and a form of polyphonic singing traditionally performed with 4 voices in Sardinian, the local language. They are named: su <\/em>bassu<\/em>, sa <\/em>contra<\/em>, su mesu o<\/em>g<\/em>he,<\/em> and sa o<\/em>g<\/em>he<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

MUSIC<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
The Tenores Di Bitti<\/em> is one of the most famous groups and has helped in making the tradition known all over the world<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Among its most recognizable features are the grittinness and metallic sound of the bassu<\/em> and contra<\/em>\u2019s voice, which along with the mesu <\/em>o<\/em>g<\/em>he<\/em> form an accompanying chorus. These 3 voices constitute the su tenore <\/em>and sing a series of rhythmic nonsensical syllables (\u2018bim, bam, bom\u2019 are some that are used) while the lone o<\/em>g<\/em>he <\/em>cites a given piece of poetry or prose that helps mark the rhythm and character of the song. It’s traditionally sung a cappella<\/em>, i.e. without accompanying instrumentation, and in a close circle formation to allow the performers to hear each other properly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To all of you musical nerds out there, the theory goes more or less like this: Visualizing it through the keys of a piano, the bassu<\/em> produces the lowest tone, a fifth below the contra<\/em>, and the mesu <\/em>o<\/em>g<\/em>he<\/em> harmonizes with the previous two by singing major thirds, fourths, and at times even fifths and sixths above. More or less in the middle of the range rests the oghe<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
What you see above is a basic layout of the harmonization transposed onto the keys of a piano<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The bassu<\/em> and c<\/em>ontra<\/em> are the harmonic pillars on which the other 2 voices sit.<\/p>\n

Going a little bit deeper into the technique itself on these 2 lower voices; In effect, they constitute a type of polyphonic throat singing. It makes use of an anatomical feature common to all of us but only used as a singing instrument by a select few since it requires quite a lot of training and habituation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

FALSE VOCAL CORDS<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

This feature is the vestibular folds or ‘false vocal cords’. They are located in our larynx, commonly named voice box, and are in fact not strings. They are closer to a mucous-covered membrane that sits above our vocal cords and trachea, to prevent liquids and solids from descending into them.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Generally speaking, when we want to produce sound with our vocal cords, several things occur. Firstly, the airflow being pushed out of the lungs increases in volume and speed. These increases push both sets of vocal folds apart, which causes a tendency for them to return to their original positions. The reason for this is twofold: Firstly their elastic nature implies a return of force against the physical stimulus, in \u201csearch\u201d of equilibrium; And in consequence, the Bernoulli effect states that any increase in speed of flow on a fluid dictates a decrease in static pressure at the site of the constriction. Long story short, a conscious effort (muscle activation) in closing a vocal cord, adding on to its elastic nature and airflow pressure causes an ever-increasing tendency for it to close. Once it does, airflow coming in opens them up again, and the cycle repeats, producing a voice.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
A graphical representation of a human larynx and surrounding structures as well as a schematic view of the Bernoulli effect<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

This is true for the vocal cords, but not really for the vestibular folds. These in comparison have much less muscle tissue and quite a different shape that makes it unlikely for them to produce sound as reliably. Their usage in singing is therefore a much more conscious effort, and perhaps some anatomical fortune, and involve a lot of training and awareness of one\u2019s own body.<\/p>\n

Curiously enough it is possible to \u201csing\u201d using only the vestibular folds, but you\u2019ll end up with a very rough-sounding growl. This is used quite a lot in some subgenres of Heavy Metal, such as Death Metal.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Returning to the subject, in Cantu<\/em> the bassu<\/em> does in fact make use of the false vocal cords when singing. Their vibration will produce a sub-octave in relation to the sound the real ones create. Put simply, the same tone but lower down. This is called \u2018Period Doubling\u2019\u00b9<\/strong> or \u2018Vestibular Diplophony\u2019\u00b2<\/strong> since it makes use of the \u201ctrue\u201d and false vocal cords at the same time. The contra<\/em> however only makes use of these by keeping them tensed up, which does not allow for the generation of a lower tone. Fortunately, it still adds to the allure of the performance by creating a very metallic sound.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also noteworthy that once a singer\u2019s role as one of these 2 voices is defined, it\u2019s ill-advised by fellow singers and masters to attempt to change vocal type without proper experience. This is due to the long period of habituation needed for the false vocal cords to be able to produce sound safely. The constant fluctuation between roles might input too much strain on them and cause long-term damage.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Below I bring you 2 different styles of Cantu; <\/em>A slower method (Tenore de Orosei) in which chord changes throughout the song are more emphasized; And a more rhythm imperative option (Tenores Di Bitti) which, if you\u2019re that kind of weird, will make for a great meditative tool:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tenore de Orosei – A una rosa (Voche ‘e notte antica); 1998<\/p>\n