El 38º Euroradio Folk Festival de 2017 se celebró en la ciudad checa de Çesky Krumlov, organizado por la Çesky Rohzlas o Radio Nacional de la República Checa. Este evento, itinerante, lo acoge cada año una emisora pública europea. En 2017 se celebró entre el 19 y el 22 de julio. Cada emisora pública europea envía un representante. En total fueron 21 conciertos de los que esta semana oiremos otros cinco.
Hoy escuchamos a la representación de Suiza, el dúo Vent Negru formado por:
Esther Rietschin -voz, saxofones contralto y soprano, acordeon, ocarina, piva, percusióon;
Mauro Garbani - voz, organetto (acordeon diatonico ), guitarra, ocarina, piva (bagpipe de Ticino)
El repertorio y el programa de mano, en inglés, decía:
1. Strambotti 2:18, lyrics: Trad. I music: Mauro Garbani /arr.:Vent Negru
2. La Sisina 3:27, trad. I arr. VN
3. A pastora e iilupo 3:15, lyrics: trad. I music: trad. I arr. :VN
4. Suite Monfrine 4:10, music: trad. I arr.:VN
5. lnno della Vallona 3:38, lyrics: trad. I music: Barbara Bollin & Ilario Garbani-Marcantini I arr.:VN
6. Mamma mia dammi cento lire 2:50, lyrics: trad.I music: trad. I arr.: VN
7. CJ parlaa tOta ra vita 4:34, lyrics: Fernando Grignola I music: Mauro Garbani I arr.:VN
8. Cech Ciciota 2:34, music: trad. I arr. Esther Rietschin
9. Bufing Bufeta 3:23, lyrics: trad. I music: Mauro Garbani I arr.: VN
10. Al Cioss 4:25 musica: Mauro Garbani I arr.:VN
VENT NEGRU came about through the meeting of two artists of different origins: a city woman from the north and a highlander from the south of Switzerland. The common interest of traditional customs, handed down from generation to generation, led to the founding the duo in 1991.
In the dialect of the Onsernone Valley in Ticino, where Mauro Garbani comes from, "vent negru“ (black wind) signifies a strong wind sweeping away the clouds and ensuring nice weather.
Music to dance to, songs about love, emigration, festivities, religion and other events of life form the duet‘s repertory. The duet's own arrangements and adaptations preserve and respect forms and content while showing the search for personal and varied influences of outstanding forms of expression. Besides popular repertory, the duet plays their own and other compositions.
Esther Rietschin was born in Basel. As a child and teenager, she followed an old tradition there, learning to play the piccolo and becoming an active participant in the Basel Fasnacht (Carnival). She studied music education before becoming a performer.
Mauro Garbani's contacts with traditional singers and musicians and familiarization with the repertory south of the Alps are longstanding. Although a carpenter by profession, he devoted himself more and more to music and became co-founder of the group MEA D‘ORA (1983-1991).
In summer 2003, VENT NEGRU released their fourth CD, “leva su, ca canta u gall“ ("get up, the cock is crowing“). In 2004, they set to music 12 poems by Fernando Grignola, a well-known writer in Ticino dialect, and Italian-Swiss Radio (RTS/RSI) produced the CD "Eternità d‘Amûr“ ("Eternity of Love").
There followed in 2008 the Christmas CD "Viaggio a Betlemme“ ("Journey to Bethlehem"), a co-production with RSI. In 2011, the CD "U sool u nèss tutt i déi" ("The Sun is New Every Day) was released, dedicated to the "Riflessioni Musicali" summer concerts given in little churches in Ticino.
In 2016, for their 25th anniversary, the duet released the CD "Resumada". On this last CD, Esther and Mauro, in addition to their new and old songs and instrumental music, present their collaborations with other musicians.
