Back to the main index
Back to photo/video gallery
Download the whole album on bandcamp
prev |
Launeddas - Highlands |
next |
We went to Sardinia for a short holiday in 2014. I was in doubt if looking for a launeddas or not, also because you can just not go to a shop and buy one. The launeddas are really a very typical instruments and have a really old tradition, I think they are one of the oldest instruments of Europe. The best way to have one is to get in touch with a launeddas maker. Thanks to the website Launeddas world I got in touch with Giancarlo, a young launeddas maker and player. By chance, he was passing by the village in which we were staying and we organized to meet. He brought me a "Punte'e Organu in Bb"
It is extremely difficult to play this instrument. The initial problem was learning how to tune it appropriately. Sardinian sheperd were very clever to use wax to modify the weight of the reed. But the main difficult was to understand the circular breathing. I was used to the didgeridoo and I don't have problems with the circular breathing on it, but when you play the launeddas you have three canes on your mouth and things change significantly. It was really an effort to play just a couple of notes!