Elena Ledda, born on May 17, 1959, in Selargius, near Cagliari, is an Italian singer-songwriter known for performing and preserving music in the Sardinian language. She studied oboe and singing at the conservatory in Cagliari. Although trained as a mezzo-soprano, she chose to focus on folk music, combining traditional Sardinian sounds with research, experimentation, and influences from world music. Her recording career began with Ammentos in 1979, followed by collaborations with musician Mauro Palmas, who became one of her most important artistic partners. Together they developed projects such as Suonofficina and later Sonos, exploring innovative interpretations of Sardinian musical traditions. Her discography includes albums such as Ammentos (1979), Is Arrosas (1984), Sonos (1988), and Incanti (1993). Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she released albums including Is Arrosas, Incanti, and Sonos e Memoria, while performing internationally and gaining recognition as one of Sardinia’s leading musical ambassadors. Her later albums include Maremannu (2001) and Amargura (2004). In 2007, Rosa Resolza, recorded with Andrea Parodi, won the Targa Tenco for Best Dialect Album and the City of Loano Award for Best Folk Music Album. She has also collaborated with renowned artists such as Fabrizio De André, Paolo Fresu, Noa, Andreas Vollenweider, Savina Yannatou, Don Cherry, and Rita Marcotulli.
