Enzo Favata is one of the most active and well-known Sardinian musicians in the Italian and international panorama. He plays the saxophone and sopranino sax, as well as other wind instruments, above all ethnic ones from Sardinia. His research joins the arcane and the modern, experimenting with different languages and musical cultures.
Enzo Favata was born in the Sardinian city of Alghero in Northwest Sardinia. Curiosity moved him from playing in traditional bands to experimenting with electronic music and composing film music. Innumerable performances at festivals and awards followed.
In 1993, after having played traditional jazz for some years he debuted with a new quartet participating in the Festival Jazz di S.Anna Arresi: this group and the music which was proposed were the seeds of the Jana Project, which combined ethnic music with jazz improvisation and world music from other parts of the globe. In the live context there was interaction between acoustic instruments and samplers.
In 1992, Favata produced Jana. It documents the visionary landscape of musical mixing between that which is Sardinian and that of other cultures. During the same period he developed another project with guitarist Marcello Peghin and percussionist Roberto Pellegrini: Tangram Trio, an experimental group in the field of contemporary jazz and avant-garde music, halfway between minimalism, noise music and underground.
Alongside the concert experience was that of musical production for soundtracks working with RAI, radio and television, dance and theatre.At the beginning of 1993 he debuted as the composer of soundtracks for movies, putting his name to the music of a German film set in Sardinia “With love ….Fabia” by the Italian director Maria Teresa Camoglio, produced by Shram Film of Berlin. The experience was repeated in 1995 with the film by the director Antonello Grimaldi “The sky is ever bluer” presented in 1997 at 10 international film festivals including that of Berlin. This soundtrack is available on CD on the label San Isidro.
1995 marked the start of the collaboration with the label Robi Droli with which Islà was released– this work was recorded together with guitarist Marcello Peghin, tablista Federico Sanesi and Riccardo Tesi on the diatonic accordion. During that period Favata abandoned electronic music for the pure sounds of acoustic instruments. Islà determined and defined the stylistic character of Favata’s work which is inspired by travel.
1997 saw an important collaboration with a master of the Argentine bandoneon, Dino Saluzzi. This collaboration was recorded on the CD Ajò featuring an acoustic quintet. Its music crosses memories of emigration between Sardinia and Argentina. The collaboration with Saluzzi is currently continuing with a series of concerts.
Voyage in Sardaigne was released in 1998 for the label of the national newspaper “Il Manifesto”. This was the first album that Favata dedicated entirely to Sardinia: within this work the saxophone player involves and lets his music be performed by 32 musicians, amongst which the most important players of Sardinian folk music. Voyage en Sardaigne debuted as a show in the same year at the Festival of the Mediterranean Song at Palma de Mallorca, and then arrived in autumn at the prestigious Salon of Music in Turin, and the Book Show in Frankfurt and a concert at the Lyrical Theatre of Cagliari.
Discography:
Tangos de La Tardor (LMJ, 1987)
Frammenti (autoprodotto, 1991)
Le quattro stagioni (autoprodotto, 1991)
Jana (Il ponte sonoro, 1992)
Islà (CGD, 1995)
Ajò (Robi Droli, 1997)
Voyage en Sardaigne (Robi Droli/Il Manifesto, 1998)
Atlantico – (Il Manifesto, 1999)
Boghes and Voices (Harmonia Mundi, 2001)
Made in Sardinia (CCn’c Records / Il Manifesto, 2003)
Crossing (IRD, 2004)
No man’s land (Sixelectrix Splasch Records, 2005)
The New Village (Il Manifesto, 2007)
Jeux D’Enfant (Comar 23, 2008)
Inner Roads (Jazzit Records, 2018)
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.
