Setak, aka Nicola Pomponi, will be the guest of honor at the first edition of the Mare Llengua Festival, the festival dedicated to minority language singer-songwriters, scheduled to take place at the Teatro Civico in Alghero on October 17, 18, and 19.
Winner of the 2024 Targa Tenco Award for best album in dialect with his album Assamanù , the Abruzzese artist will headline the evening of October 18th, accompanied by guitarist Alessandro Chimienti, a longtime collaborator of Mannarino. With Assamanù , the third chapter in a trilogy that began with Blusanza (2019) and continued with Alestalè (2021), Setak recounted the most important moments of his life, intertwining the Abruzzese dialect with blues and folk in a unique and highly personal style.
The festival, organized by the Cabirol Association with the support of the Municipality and the Alghero Foundation, the Generalitat de Catalunya, and the Fondazione di Sardegna, also announced the jury, which bears the imprint of the Tenco Prize.
The 13 jurors include critic and essayist Paolo Tanca, a member of the Tenco Club board; Alessia Pistolini, music critic and Tenco juror; and Felice Liperi, a longtime Radio 3 broadcaster. Over 30 nominations were received for this first edition. There are two main sections: one dedicated to singer-songwriters in Catalan, Italian dialects, and minority languages; the other, the "Pino Piras Prize," for works in Catalan from Alghero. The festival will kick off with screenings and concerts in the early evening, continuing with performances by European composers on October 18th and concluding on the 19th with an evening dedicated to the Alghero competition.
