Orosei

Orosei is a town of nearly 7,000 inhabitants, located north of the gulf of the same name that opens onto the Tyrrhenian Sea.

In spite of the great impact of tourism on the life of the Orosei community, it has been able to maintain a strong bond with most of its rites, both sacred and profane, and its poetic-musical cultural specificities, such as cantu a tenore.

The presence of some extraordinary singers in the twentieth century, among which we remember for example Vincenzo Gallus, has allowed the traditional songs not to lose their charm for the new generations, who in fact have always interpreted them with great expressive quality.

Today the songs of Orosei are present in all contexts, the sacred ones (without the guttural sound of the voices) in the ceremonies of paraliturgy and especially of Holy Week; the profane ones that instead present bassu and contra guttural in traditional community meeting contexts and in the stages of town festivals in Orosei and throughout the island.

The songs of Orosei are well known and appreciated even outside Sardinia thanks to the international circulation of the Orosei groups in international festivals.

Census

In Orosei, 41 singers were surveyed. This number is relatively low in relation to the important role that these singers play within the community.

Organized Groups