Oral poetry in traditional and new media The case of Campidanese poetry competitions

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to illustrate some points of interest concerning the relationship between improvised poetry and mass media. In particular, this study focuses on the oral poetry competitions that take place on the ‘stages’ of traditional mass media (radio and television) and on the new forms of improvised poetry connected with the new media. The case study presented in this paper is Campidanese oral poetry, a form of improvised-sung poetry spread throughout the south of Sardinia. The first part of this paper analyses the interaction between oral poetry and mass media, in general terms. In the second part, some examples of Campidanese oral performances transmitted on local television and radio stations are described, in order to analyse the modifications to poetry competitions produced by the new contexts. The last section of this study presents the new virtual meeting places for Campidanese oral tradition enthusiasts and poets: YouTube, Facebook and a website designed for online poetry competitions.