Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses
Encyclopedia
Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses is a Corsican revival band, concerned with the indigenous music of Corsica. It is the project of Patrizia Poli and Patrizia Gattaceca, who were heavily involved in the 1970s Corsican Roots Revival
movement. Their eponymous debut album Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses (1991) was arranged and produced by Hector Zazou
, featuring Manu Dibango
on saxophone, Ivo Papasov on clarinet, Richard Horowitz
, Jon Hassell
on trumpet, Shaymal Maltra on tabla, djembe, and ghatam, John Cale
and Ryuichi Sakamoto
on piano, with Zazou doing “electronics”. Their collaboration with non-Corsican artists was a decision based on exploring the evolving concept of polyphony. For Les Nouvelles Polyphonies, it was important to “sing polyphony as we feel it today” (Patrizia Poli). The improvisation found on the album provides a conceptual link with the tradition of Corsican indigenous folk music.
Roots revival
A roots revival is a trend which includes young performers popularizing the traditional musical styles of their ancestors. Often, roots revivals include an addition of newly-composed songs with socially and politically aware lyrics, as well as a general modernization of the folk sound.After an...
movement. Their eponymous debut album Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses (1991) was arranged and produced by Hector Zazou
Hector Zazou
Hector Zazou was a prolific French composer and record producer who worked with, produced, and collaborated with an international array of recording artists...
, featuring Manu Dibango
Manu Dibango
-External links:*...
on saxophone, Ivo Papasov on clarinet, Richard Horowitz
Richard Horowitz
Richard Horowitz is a composer, producer, arranger, and musician .He is best known for his work on The Sheltering Sky, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, which was awarded the 1990 Golden Globe and LA Film Critics Music Awards; Any Given Sunday, directed by Oliver Stone, which was awarded the 2000...
, Jon Hassell
Jon Hassell
Jon Hassell is an American trumpet player and composer. He is known for his influence in the world music scene and his unusual electronic manipulation of the trumpet sound.-Life and career:...
on trumpet, Shaymal Maltra on tabla, djembe, and ghatam, John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
and Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto
After working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
on piano, with Zazou doing “electronics”. Their collaboration with non-Corsican artists was a decision based on exploring the evolving concept of polyphony. For Les Nouvelles Polyphonies, it was important to “sing polyphony as we feel it today” (Patrizia Poli). The improvisation found on the album provides a conceptual link with the tradition of Corsican indigenous folk music.
Facts about Les Nouvelles Polphonies Corses
- The band were selected to perform live at opening ceremony of 1992 Winter Olympics in AlbertvilleAlbertvilleAlbertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
, France.
- Their song “Giramondu” (sung at Albertville) was subsequently used in a Philips advertisement that appeared worldwide.
- The disc was then voted best album of the year in the “traditional music” section of the 1992 Victoires de la MusiqueVictoires de la MusiqueVictoires de la musique , is an annual French award ceremony that recognizes the best musical artists of the year.- Male artist of the year :*1985 : Michel Jonasz*1986 : Jean-Jacques Goldman*1987 : Johnny Hallyday...
(French equivalent of the Grammy awards).