MATILDE POLITI
Viva Santa Liberata

fy 8262

88502682622
Felmay Records
Italia

 

MATILDE POLITI’s new work
intends to provoke a reflection on the contrast between freedom and holiness, female natural vitality and the patriarchal social and cultural rule that stems it, going beyond the usual Santa Liberata official hagiography, which exists and has very interesting symbolic characters: protector of childbirth and of women who have recently delivered


The title of this album by MATILDE POLITI, VIVA SANTA LIBERATA, apparently seems to refers to the typical traditional singing of the Sicilians to their reference patron saint. This Liberata, however, is not the patron saint of any specific place, since MATILDE does not refer to the Santa Liberata of official hagiography, which exists and has very interesting symbolic characters (protector of childbirth and women who have recently delivered, or bearded woman and crucified...), but rather provokes reflection on the oxymoron and the contrast between freedom and holiness, between the female natural vitality and the patriarchal social and cultural rule that stems it. The pieces collected here are the result of archival research and MATILDE elaboration on that part of the traditional Sicilian repertoire which is often overlooked, such as the narrative song (Storia di Ginuveffa) which acts as a common thread of the album, or like the female vocal repertoires (Lidia), the singing from the depths of the land of the solfatari di Grotte (Gruttisa), the freedom song of the peasants of central Sicily (Curnuti), the hymn of redemption of the forgotten (La cuda qualchi vota si fa testa). The stereotyped Sicily of the sun, wheat and bright colors, known to the world and recognizable in its features, is the face of patriarchal and masculine culture; MATILDE POLITI in her work reveals another face of the island, the one of the shadow, the woods with their hidden waters, wet caves, like the one where Ginuveffa finds refuge persecuted by blind male violence. The style, as in all POLITI's record productions, is as close as possible to tradition. Therefore she prefers to employ only acoustic instruments: vocals, intertwining vocals, guitars, violin, mandolin, frame drums, marranzano (Jew’s harp) and barrel organ that suddenly unleash their energy in tarantellas dance tunes .
Born in Palermo, with a degree in Cultural Anthropology, University of Rome MATILDE POLITI works in music and theater since 1992 in the context of experimental theater. During the years she has pursued a path of self-training through seminars and workshops of various kinds, accompanied by a constant research and experimentation, and an intense series of performances with American, Spanish and Sicilian folk repertoire. Since 2000 she chose to devote herself mainly to the research work on the repertoire of Sicilian oral tradition, research that widens constantly referring to the traditional music of the Mediterranean area. Researches continue through trips to the Mediterranean and Africa lands, to learn about instruments and practices of other musical cultures. Since 2003, in Palermo, is also committed to the social integration of migrants through music, supporting the creation of multi-ethnic performances aimed at encouraging contacts between people and cultures.