The tiny village of Tagliu-Isulaccia in the far north of Corsica is the home of Alain and Jean-François Bernardini, well known at home and abroad by the name I Muvrini. People here remember seeing them perched on makeshift stages singing their first polyphonies, and certain of their admirers from those early days are proud to still have in their possession the 45 rpm recording by Canta U Populu Corsu on which the brothers sang at the request of their father, a poet and singer who passed away in 1977.
The Bernardinis sing in their native Corsican because it is essential to them as the first seed of universality tying them to all lands, all shores, and all the cultures of the world.
At the end of the 1980s, I Muvrini played the role of cultural pioneer, as at that time there existed in Corsica neither a reference point nor a structure for the distribution of music in general, and for theirs in particular. The group survived by managing and financing themselves, recording at their own expense, creating their own label, and giving hundreds of concerts around the island offering free admission to those under 15. Furthermore, in a desire to increase awareness of an ancestral tradition, they participated actively in the creation of schools for the teaching of Corsican singing.
Some years later, in the wake of an ever-growing success, I Muvrini crossed the sea and began a series of performances at the Printemps de Bourges festival, at Bobino, and in Brittany, another land of strong national pride. As they released their records and passionately defended them along the way, the group watched their public grow. That public comprised a good part of Corsica by the summer of 1993, when a third of the island’s population flocked to their sold-out concerts. The Zenith Theater and the Bercy hall, both in Paris, were soon won over in turn.
I Muvrini proceeded to collaborate with Jacques Dutronc on the song “Corsica” from his album CQFD and with Véronique Sanson. I Muvrini wove the words and notes that made their May 1998 release Leia the symbol of a Corsica that holds the hope of moving forward.
The musical palette of the group includes Cajun, Celtic, Jazz, and World music.
I Muvrini, the U.S. debut release on Higher Octave World, contains the very best moments of the group, including the “Terre d’Oru” duet with Sting and a reprise of Jacques Brel’s “Amsterdam.”
Discography
…Ti ringrazianu (1979)
Anu da vultà (1980)
…È campà quì (1981)
Lacrime (1984)
85 (1985)
À l’encre rouge (1986)
Pè l’amore di tè… (1988)
Quorum (EMI, 1989)
À voce rivolta (EMI, 1991)
Noi (EMI, 1993)
Curagiu (EMI, 1995)
Leia (EMI, 1998)
Umani (EMI,, 2002)
Alma (2005)
I Muvrini et les 500 choristes (2007)
Gioia (2010)
Imaginà (2012)
Invicta (2015)
Pianetta (2016)
Luciole (2017)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.