ADVERTISEMENTDaniela Pes, 32, was born in Sardinia, Italy. Growing up in Tempio Pausania, she is fluent in both standard Italian and her Gallurian region’s dialect, Gallurese.
On her debut album, 2023’s ‘SPIRA’, Pes sings in a combination of Italian and Gallurese. She effortlessly moves between them combining idiomatic phrases with word jumbles, choosing lyrics for their sonic satiny feel, over logical semantic placement.
“I never wanted to sing just in English, Italian or my dialect,” Pes tells me. “My biggest dream has always been to write music that could be as universal as possible, to go out the borders and to reach the furthest horizon.”
Without worrying about literal meanings or audiences understanding her on a syntactical level, Pes is able to move more freely within expression. “I found a way to feel free on the stage, feel free in my writing.”
“I am now able to speak and to communicate to English people, Chinese people, Japanese people, French people, all at the same frequency, because the lyrics don’t actually mean anything. Everything is wrong!”
Everything is not wrong though when you listen to Pes. On record, her soft singing voice feels lullaby-like as it calmly ushers you into the myriad swirling synth rhythms. ‘Carme’ is a classic example of her style, slowly building from a gentle refrain until it bursts with Pes’ crackling tones and the music carries you away into a greater spiritual plain.
Live, it’s an even more transformative experience. Pes’ voice is enthralling. As she toys with a complex synth setup, flanked by two more musicians doing the same, the effect is hypnotising. The room draws back and all is left is this forceful Italian dialect connecting you through a sound that feels more evolving than a planned playlist.
The reason for this free-form style is Pes’ background in jazz. From a musical household – her father is a musician, her brothers play piano and drums – Pes fondly remembers recording songs with her family. Graduating from Luigi Canepa Conservatory of Sassari with a degree in jazz singing, Pes spent 10 years immersed in the jazz world.
That didn’t stop her broadening her horizons. “I’ve always loved instrumental music: Israeli music, Arabian music, Armenian musicians, all that music that can use the voice like an instrument.”
Jazz also taught Pes how to improvise vocally. In her performances, while the structure is taken from the tracks she’s released, much like a jazz group performing a standard, there are the opportunities for her and her band to vamp. On a track like ‘Ille Sera’, this might come at the cacophonous finale, or in ‘Làira’ it might be in the chanted sections that sound sampled from a snake charmer.
“It’s not straightforward traditional jazz, but it’s the idea of jazz. It’s the idea of that freedom,” Pes explains of her live shows. “You can go any way you want with your voice without necessarily saying anything that makes sense.”
Even without understanding it, Pes’ haunting voice and captivating stage presence connect with audiences deeply. On stage earlier this year at ESNS – where she was nominated for an MME Award – the international crowd was blown away. Everyone shared in the music’s timelessness melancholy that brings forth spiritual images of pastoral ghost stories.
While Pes’ music is immaculately produced on her album, it’s this approach to free performance that makes her consider herself a stage musician. “I really like staying in the studio and writing, listening, imagining visions. But when I get onto the stage, that’s the moment where I can find myself,” she says.
Yet a long time on tour still takes its toll. Her record is 130 concerts in a year. Now, with a European tour largely behind her – she still has festival dates including the Netherlands’ Best Kept Secret – it’s time to hit the studios and get recording again. “I didn’t get the chance till now to be in my home studio, my peaceful place, to start writing again.” “I really feel the need now, and I can’t wait,” Pes says.
