ABOUT Matilde Politi

She is considered one of the most representative female performers of Sicilian folk music.
Born in Palermo, she graduated in Cultural Antropology at La Sapienza University in Roma, and got a diploma in Performing Arts in C.S.R.T of Pontedera, Pisa.

Her work in the folklore of her native island aims to recover traditional sounds and praxis; it is also important to give new life to an expiring musical landscape, by creating new compositions, always linking Sicilian roots with Mediterranean ones, in order to map out the historical connections and influences, but mostly to draw in music the mixture of cultures that springs from nowadays multi-ethnic Sicilian society.

Strenghtened by a solid theatrical training, in the field of the most accurate Art of the Performer (1995-2002, Fondazione Pontedera Teatro), she chose music as a privileged form of art to convey and express unusual contents and words, filtered by Sicilian tradition and culture. She worked in the Theatre as actress, singer, musician, musical trainer, musical consulent.

Voice is her best and favourite performing instrument, but she also plays instruments like guitar, accordion and drums to accompany the emotional and concrete power of singing. She cooperates with various musicians, that have different musical backgrounds and traditions, by creating cross-over projects. The musical research is always alive, especially through travels in Africa and across Mediterranean area in search of others culture’s musical skills.

Since 2000 she focused on Sicilian traditional music, bringing forth the research on popular music and Mediterranean roots.