A voice that enchants, a pen that scratches and caresses, a stage that now feels like home: Maria Oppo confirms herself as champion of the Poetry Slam Sardinia for the third consecutive time, winning the coveted Bronzetto d'Oro during the grand final held on August 2nd in Seneghe, on the stage of the Domo de sa Poesia.
The event, now in its eleventh year, was once again hosted by the Sardinian section of LIPS (Italian Poetry Slam League), in collaboration with the cultural association Perda Sonadora, which included the final as an exceptional preview of the 21st edition of the Cabudanne de Sos Poetas festival.
Oppo's victory—a native of Oristano, brimming with class and poetic power—came at the end of an intense competition, filled with scathing verses, palpable emotion, and a warm crowd.
Among his three performances, the most notable ones were his texts : “Pierrot,” a lyrical homage to melancholy and its connection to the moon; the highly original “Mononanvocalica,” in which each poem is constructed using a single vowel; and the intense “Kit di sopravvivenza,” a poetic denunciation of an abusive relationship.
It is this last text, full of raw truth and expressive power, that guaranteed her the top step of the podium, ahead of the very talented Silvia Piana di Sorso.
The podium is rounded out by a tie between Luca Sedda (Gavoi) and Steve Kieninger (Cagliari/San Francisco), both capable of bringing vibrant poetry and civic engagement to the stage. Sedda also received the Critics' Award for two powerful texts: "Mutos a s'andira pro sa Palestina" and "Stefano," dedicated to the memory of Stefano Cucchi and the silence surrounding his story.
The event was enhanced by the captivating conducting of Francesca Falchi and the music of accordionist Maria Giovanna Canu, while Giovanni Salis served as notary with his customary precision.
Among the other finalists in the competition, well-known voices and new promises of Sardinian poetry slam : Antonella “Haruka” Avellone, Luca Codullo, Terri Melon, Isidoro Carta, Valentina Loche, Marta Meloni, Roberto Nieddu, Carlo Bussinada Rosas – coming from every corner of the island.
The grand finale also featured special guests Joan Oliva and Luana Farina Martinelli, with poems with strong political and humanitarian content, and a militant DJ set by Braxa, who closed the evening with a combination of spoken word and scratching.
In view of the Lips national finals, scheduled in Agrigento from August 28th to 31st, Silvia Piana will represent Sardinia: champion Maria Oppo, in fact, will be busy at the Cabudanne de Sos Poetas, where on August 30th she will present her book "Mostros," another piece in the mosaic of a poetic voice increasingly central to the contemporary scene.
(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)