Launeddas

Luigi Lai

Born in 1932 in San Vito, a small town in southern Sardinia, Luigi Lai is the master par excellence of the launeddas, a Sardinian instrument with three pipes of very ancient origins.

Teacher, researcher, innovator and experimenter of the instrument to adapt to different musical genres, Luigi collaborated with Paolo Fresu, Enrico Rava, Tullio De Piscopo, Enzo Avitabile, Mauro Palmas, Enzo Favata, Elena Ledda and many other artists.

Luigi studied saxophone at the Zurich Academy of Music, and is the author of a pioneering Method for launeddas aimed at teaching traditional culture according to the canons of cultured music. Recognized around the globe for his artistic merits, in 1985 he was nominated Maestro del Folklore, in 1988 Cavaliere della Repubblica, in 2014 Official of the Republic, in February 2023 he was the first musician of the oral tradition to receive an Honorary Degree from the University of Bologna. In 2017, Luigi was a lecturer at the Cagliari Conservatory.

CosConstantly engaged in teaching activities with seminars and master classes throughout the island, Luigi has been a teacher of the Mare e Miniere workshops since the first edition.