INSPIRATION

I started. And I’m happy as a child. Sardinia. My origins. My great-grandfather, the dialectal poet Pasquale Dessanai, author of the famous poem ‘In S’Abba’ (better known as Mariedda) was born here.

Nuoro is beautiful and smiling, like a woman in the verses of Pasquale. Today even more, under the sun and an unusual late October warmth that have accompanied me throughout the day.

The beautiful Piazza Satta, decorated by the sculptures of Nivola is my departure. Piazza Su Connottu, then down towards the Corso full of young people in the outdoor bars. The Tettamanzi Cafe, where nineteenth-century Nuorese culture characters met. The birth place of our only Nobel Prize Grazia Deledda. The Church of Solitude where it is now buried. And the breathtaking view of the valley at the foot of Mount Ortobene.

So full of adrenaline that I forgot to have lunch. I spoke to some old people and some Dutch tourists. It is enough for me.

Then downhill, at full speed towards freedom, screaming loudly. Freedom interrupted only by the steep and hard climb towards Lollove. My legs held up.

377 is also street art.

I go back a bit with my genealogy: here hovers the spirit of Luigi Dessanai, father of Pasquale. Originally from Laconi, he died in Lollove, in a Carlo Alberto street which today has another name, the very street where I will play 377 in the inaugural concert.

My music, played with incredible and generous nuorese artists: Monica Corimbi, Giampaolo Selloni, Simone Pala, Luca Deriu, Fabio Coronas, Pierluigi Manca and Valentina Satta.

And I go to bed exhausted but happy.

SOUND FRAGMENTS

Partly inspired by the harmonies of the Nuorese polyphonic choirs. Improvised at the opening concert in Lollove.

 

SARDINIAN SHORT STORIES

I cycle down the Corso in Nuoro, my first few minutes of the 377 project. Suddenly a boy greets me “Ciao Sebastià !!”. I turn around and ask him “Who are you?”, with apprehension, thinking of having already met him and not recognizing his face, me that I am such a physiognomist! He replies “I am a fan of yours! I follow you on Facebook! Tonight, my friend and I will come to Lollove by bike, we will follow you to your concert!”. I have to admit it … I’m starting to feel like a star!

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Luigi, 13 years old. His parents recently bought him a guitar. After lunch Luigi wants to show me the three chords he knows how to play on the guitar: A, E and D (they are all major … but possibly he does not know). When I tell him I’ll teach him a fourth, Luigi lights up: it’s the G major, I tell him. And patiently, after showing it to him, I put his fingers in position and let him play the new chord … hearing this beautiful sound is for me and for him a great satisfactory moment!