Synopsis

The making of launeddas, the triple reed clarinet widespread in southern Sardinia, requires specialized knowledge that a small number of artisans hand down by oral tradition. In "Maistus de Sonus. Makers of launeddas" four different makers show their work and tell their stories in front of the camera.

The documentary displays how their elegant and confident gestures transform reeds, wax and string into musical instruments. At the same time, we can feel their emotion when they remember their masters. The makers will show the different construction techniques (related to individual choices or areal styles) and how the tools used are changing over time.

 

Marco Lutzu is Research Associate of Ethnomusicology at the University of Cagliari (Italy), where he teaches Ethnomusicology of Sardinia and Audiovisual Ethnomusicology. He has carried out fieldwork in Sardinia, Cuba, and Equatorial Guinea, focusing on the relationship between music and religion, improvised poetry, hip hop culture, and performance analysis. Together with Giovanni Giuriati and Simone Tarsitani he coordinates Eyes on Music: Projects on audiovisual ethnomusicology developed by the Intercultural Institute of Comparative Music Studies (IISMC) of the Giorgio Cini Foundation (Venice).

He is the scientific director of the Encyclopedia of Sardinian Music (L’Unione Sarda, 2012), and co-edited the volume Investigating Musical Performance: Theoretical Models and Intersections (Routledge 2020). As visual ethnomusicologist he directed more than 20 documentaries on the main topics of his research. His documentary Santeros has been published on the ‘Journal of Audiovisual Ethnomusicology’.

 

Matteo Muscas is a young musician who loves both traditional Sardinian music and popular music. He learned to play launeddas and other instruments with maestro Orlando Mascia, later joining his "Sardinian Popular Orchestra" which performed at festivals in Italy and Europe.

At the same time, he carries on a parallel career as MC in the Dancehall scene with the alias Supahfly. He also collaborates with reggae groups and is a member of the band of harmonica player Moses Concas.