Paolo Angeli

The guitarist, composer, ethnomusicologist, and instrument builder Paolo Angeli is associated with traditional Sardinian music. Whatever you want to call it, nobody else is doing it quite like this. Paolo Angeli, the Sardinian sorcerer, manually magics beautiful, multilayered music from his unique prepared guitar: a hybrid orchestra of an instrument with strings going in all directions, foot pedal–controlled motorized propellers and hammers to create shimmering drones and bass lines as he bows, strikes, plucks, and strums while producing rhythmic atmospherics by treading on a plastic bag and adjusting tunings on the fly. Electronic effects are utilized, but no loops. With this singular instrument, he improvises and composes unclassifiable music, suspended between traditional music of Sardinia, free jazz, flamenco, Arabic suggestions, post-folk and pre–everything else, and came back in Sardinia with his voice into the furrows of tradition.

Paolo Angeli will be performing music from his latest album, Rade.

Tickets $25, CMA members $22