Le kandàdhes dell’Eptaneso: un repertorio di canto ‘artistico’ e ‘popolare’

This paper presents some results of the first systematic investigation on the multipart singing practices transmitted in the Ionian Islands, represented mainly by the urban genre of the kandadhes, the arekies of Zakynthos and the ariettes of Kefalonia. These vocal music repertoires of these islands, both secular (urban and rural) and sacred (in the Byzantine rite) ones, are characterised by the use of a homophonic chordal idiom. More prominence here is specifically given to the repertoire of kandadhes, accompanied by musical instruments and distinguished as ‘folk’ (laikès) and ‘artistic’ (èndechnes) ones.