Rocco Cannovino and fishermen: U Leva Leva (tuna-fishing chantey) (1954) скачать в хорошем качестве

Rocco Cannovino and fishermen: U Leva Leva (tuna-fishing chantey) (1954)

Performed by Rocco Cannovino, Salvatore Canduci, Onofrio Lopresti, with a chorus of Calabrian and Sicilian fishermen. Recorded by Alan Lomax and Diego Carpitella in Vibo Valentia Marina, Calabria, Italy, on August 3, 1954. Note by Goffredo Plastino, 1999: Until recently there were nine tonnare (tuna fishing crews) operating in the Gulf of Sant’ Eufemia, among them that of Vibo Valentia Marina, where Lomax and Carpitella made several recordings of work songs. The last tonnara, at Pizzo, ceased operating in 1963. “U leva leva” was sung during the levata, or raising of the net, the part of the fishing immediately preceding the mattanza, or butchery, of the tuna. Driven by barriers made by the nets, the fish, after going through several intermediate “chambers,” entered the so-called camera della morte or death chamber, the only one with a net at the bottom. When their number was deemed sufficient, their every way of exit was barred and the raising of the net began. The men lifted it from the bottom with the help of a capstan, causing the death chamber enclosure to become smaller and smaller. They then quickly harpooned the fish as they emerged from the water and heaved them onto the barge. The laborious task was accompanied by the cadence of a responsorial song, in which a chorus answers a soloist, who sets the rhythm of the circular pace around the capstan and hence of the work. The repertoire of the 1954 Vibo Marina tonnara was reconstructed for this recording. The fishermen put out to sea and mimed the levata and part of the mattanza, turning around a capstan and weaving their work procedures into their formalized musical performance for the benefit of the two ethnomusicologists. Lomax recalled: ”I remember one day when I set up the battered old Magnecord on a tuna-fishing barge, fifteen miles out on the glassy blue Mediterranean. No tuna had come into the underwater trap for months, and the fishermen had not been paid for almost a year. Yet they bawled out their capstan chanteys as if they were actually hauling in a rich catch, and a certain point slapped their bare feet on the deck, simulating exactly the dying convulsions of a dozen tuna. Then, on hearing the playback, they applauded their own performance like so many opera singers.” U leva leva e tiramul’ a rancata e tiramul’ a rancata oh leva leva oh leva leva leva rispondimu a tutta vuci oh leva leva e leva leva leva rispondimu a tutta vuci u leva leva leva assumamula di fundu u leva leva e leva leva leva rispundimu a tutta vuci u leva leva e leva leva leva facimu prestu c’arrivau facimu prestu c’arrivau u leva leva ’Port’ a nava’ mu rispundi ’Port’ a nava’ mu rispundi u leva leva ’Cola nnitu’ mu rispundi e ’Cola nnitu’ mu rispundi u leva leva e leva leva leva rispundimu a tutta vuci u leva leva u leva leva u leva leva u leva le’ u leva leva tiramu a rancata tiramu a rancata u leva leva u leva leva facimu prestu facimu prestu ma c’arrivau u leva leva ’spundimu a la vuci ’spundimu a la vuci u leva leva ah là ah là u leva leva u leva leva facimu iornata facimu iornata ca arza lu suli facimu iornata ca arza lu suli u leva leva u leva leva facimu prestu ma c’abbrahavi facimu prestu ma c’abbrahavi ah là ah là sumamu di fundu sumamu di fundu sumamu di fundu ca esta a piccu ma puru l’ancura ca esta a piccu ma puru l’ancura u leva leva u leva leva facimu prestu facimu prestu mi gira la testa mi gira la testa ca caiu a mari ca caiu a mari u leva leva u leva leva tiramu a rancata tiramu a rancata ca venanu avanti ca venanu avanti oh… Translation: Pull, pull — Heave, heave [raise the net]! Pull without stopping (step lively) Answer with full voice, Pull it up from the bottom! Hurry up, it’s coming! Let ‘Porta la nave’ [nickname] answer! Let ‘Nicola anice’ [another nickname] answer! Let’s answer the call! Let’s make a day of it, the sun is rising! Quickly now, I’m getting hoarse! Raise it from the bottom, It’s sharp now, the anchor, too! Hurry up, My head is spinning, I’m about to fall overboard! Pull without stopping, Let them come forward!