THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE PEASANT ENVIRONMENT

The problems of the peasant environment cannot be abridged barely to the economic reality, to the difficulties of living caused by customary occupations, to market laws that compel even a smallholding to become almost an industry, distorting and betraying a culture united with the land. The peasant world is more than this, it is much more.

It is in fact awareness of oneself, ability to recognize an independence and a incentive to persist, awareness humiliated in many ways, mainly related to tourists interests that perceive the peasant as a country bumpkin from olden days. The rural situation, even for those who attempt to save it, still remains almost always a sort of open air museum, available to all who want to immerge themselves in a environment that isn't their everyday usual city life. In other words; the attention towards the rural environment never coincides with concern for the peasants environment, of which not only the economical or ecological elements need be defended, but all the other realities related to this situation, that, together, originate this customary way of life.

Taking an interest in the musical nature of this culture, as one of the principal expressions of the peasant environment, means perceiving this situation as existing and understanding the important fundamentals, without which other elements of this culture would remain incomprehensive, in short, it denotes the reinstatement of it's decorum.
The verbal communication of songs in this society discloses passions and dreams otherwise inexpressible in other languages.

The compassion for a child that is rocked gently to sleep listening to the lullabies of the 'cantigos de ammuttiu', eternal lullabies that they have no notion of time, songs that promise the gleeful child, wonderful things that he will never attain.

The distressing melancholy of Miserere or of the Stabat that the 'Cunfrades' (brethren) perform during the penitential liturgy of Holy Friday, making the religious rite one of the most touching of all. The elation of the songs during the collection, optimistic because of need and hunger and not only in occasion of Christmas that legitimated a request without embarrassment throughout the customary pageant of good wishes. Hopes were raised so much that a refusal was often turned into revenge.

An almost disregard of hard labour and concurrently daydreams are found in sas boghes de riu, that were performed by women in cooperation with the sound of the flowing stream, as they washed their linen. Fantasy songs that, associated to these women, tell of their love for a young gentleman, always handsome and wealthy, that will take them away from their toiled life and make them live a life of luxury.

The onstage songs sung by the cantadores are substituted by songs 'a boghe e carru' and by songs 'a boghe campagnola' which were accompanied by the sound of the farm carts pulled by oxen, that guided the peasants and shepherds towards the labour that attended them in the fields or that guided them home at the end of the day. The antique rhythms of 'su ballu a cantigu', where the lyrics substitute musical instruments during the ballad, recounting in their ironic words, the sharp humour of these people, often laced with shrewd satire.

Last but not least are the songs 'a tenore' the most historic of Sardinian songs. The songs 'a tenore' from the Logudoro have nothing to envy of the songs 'a tenore' from the barbaricino region, for originality, harmony and counterpoint: a casual encounter is sufficient to hear performed sa oghe accompanied by su bomboi de sas armas , and to sing whole octaves of famous poetry, after having found the right tune in the simplest intonation known as 'a coro frimmu' and 'a s'arressa', consequently the polyphonic complexity is revealed in following intonations, each one different and characteristic of it's village. The subjects are assorted; stories of love, in all it's shades, tales of unhappy heroines both mythological or existing girlfriends, stories of the populace in various episodes, the poems of Omero, the Holy Bible, advice that the wisdom of the peasants can give to a youth etc.

All of this in enclosed within these songs

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